[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo In-ho] The Yoon Seok-yeol administration plans to set "denuclearization of North Korea through strengthening the South Korea-US alliance" as the core agenda at the South Korea-US summit scheduled for the 21st.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is taking the oath of office at the 20th presidential inauguration ceremony held at the National Assembly on the 10th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@
The possibility has increased as the US Biden administration responded positively to President Yoon's inaugural speech, which expressed the intention of a "bold plan following the implementation of North Korea's denuclearization."
However, attention is focused on whether final coordination can be made, as both South Korea and the US continue discussions over the choice of terms such as "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" and "denuclearization of North Korea."
According to the presidential office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 11th, President Yoon is expected to request President Biden at the summit to present a predictable denuclearization roadmap under close coordination between South Korea and the US and to promote denuclearization negotiations with North Korea based on the principle of reciprocity.
This is in the same context as President Yoon emphasizing "denuclearization of North Korea" instead of "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" to differentiate from the previous Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policy stance.
It is interpreted as a principled approach to demand denuclearization from North Korea rather than weakening the South Korea-US alliance in exchange for North Korea's refusal to dismantle its nuclear weapons.
On the 10th (local time), the US State Department reiterated that denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is a joint goal of the South Korea-US governments.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said at a press briefing that regarding President Yoon's inaugural speech about preparing a bold plan to improve North Korea's economy if North Korea denuclearizes, "We have closely coordinated to respond to the threat posed by North Korea's illicit weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and ballistic missile programs and to advance the shared goal of complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and we will continue to do so."
In diplomatic circles, attention is focused on which term the two leaders will adopt in the joint statement at this South Korea-US summit: "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" or "denuclearization of North Korea."
This is because it implies that South Korea and the US have different assessments of the root cause of the Korean Peninsula issue.
If the two governments fail to find a consensus, a compromise is likely in which South Korea adopts "denuclearization of North Korea" and the US adopts "denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula" in their respective statements.
However, experts believe that regardless of the discussions at the South Korea-US summit, it is difficult for North Korea to embark on the path of denuclearization. Professor Park Won-gon of Ewha Womans University said, "The logic that South Korea will take the lead in improving North Korea's economy if North Korea denuclearizes is something North Korea will never accept."
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