Yoon: "Elevating the US-Korea Alliance to a Nuclear-Based Partnership"... Promoting the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Next Year

"Establishing a Posture to Respond Swiftly to North Korean Nuclear Threats"
Proposal to Establish the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration Committee Submitted to the Cabinet Meeting

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 16th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 16th that during the recent Korea-U.S. summit held in conjunction with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) meeting last week, the two leaders adopted a joint statement approving the 'Korea-U.S. Combined Deterrence and Nuclear Operations Guidelines.' He said, "Finally, the 'integrated extended deterrence system jointly operated by Korea and the U.S.' has been firmly established," and added, "The Korea-U.S. alliance has been solidly elevated to a nuclear-based alliance in both name and reality."

At the Cabinet meeting he presided over that day, President Yoon emphasized, "By specially assigning the U.S. nuclear assets to missions on the Korean Peninsula regardless of wartime or peacetime, we have now established a posture capable of responding swiftly and effectively to any type of North Korean nuclear threat." Last week, President Yoon departed on the 8th to attend the Washington summit commemorating the 75th anniversary of NATO, the world's largest security alliance, and returned on the night of the 12th. Prior to visiting Washington D.C., where the NATO summit was held, he became the first sitting president to visit the Indo-Pacific Command located in Honolulu, Hawaii.

President Yoon explained, "The Indo-Pacific Command plays a very important role in the security of the Korean Peninsula as well," and added, "Through this visit, I directly confirmed the extensive information operations and operational status, and received an in-depth briefing on the Indo-Pacific Command's readiness for the security of the Korean Peninsula and the current state of cooperation with us."

He continued, "The 32 NATO member countries unanimously condemned the illegal military closeness between Russia and North Korea through the 'Washington Summit Declaration' and emphasized the necessity of cooperation between NATO and Indo-Pacific countries," calling the institutionalization of cooperation between NATO and Indo-Pacific partner countries a meaningful achievement. He also introduced that during the NATO summit, he held 13 bilateral meetings with leaders of 12 countries and the NATO Secretary General. Regarding his meeting with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, he said they agreed to systematize information sharing and strengthen cooperation between Korea and NATO concerning North Korean weapons used on the Ukrainian battlefield. Concerning the signing of the 'Airworthiness Certification Recognition' officially acknowledging the flight safety of domestically certified Korean aircraft by NATO, he expressed expectations that "defense industry cooperation in the aviation sector between our country and NATO will accelerate further."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held on the 16th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Furthermore, President Yoon announced that in celebration of the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation next year, "We will jointly create commemorative projects that showcase the 80-year history of Korea's liberation and the vision of a global pivotal nation." He urged, "Today, as we reflect once again on the many sacrifices and dedication made for the freedom and prosperity we enjoy, I ask the people to unite their strength so that the still unfinished 'march toward freedom' can take even stronger steps forward." At the Cabinet meeting that day, a presidential decree titled 'Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of the Committee for the Promotion of the 80th Anniversary of Liberation' was submitted to promote nationwide commemorative projects for the 80th anniversary of liberation.

President Yoon also instructed the swift recovery from damages caused by recent heavy rains and thorough preparedness, promising to expedite practical support and restoration efforts in the affected areas. He expressed condolences, saying, "I pray for the souls of those who passed away and offer my condolences to the bereaved families and those affected," and directed, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, along with related agencies, must promptly implement support measures for the special disaster zones declared yesterday and mobilize all available personnel and equipment for damage recovery."