Presidential Office: "Yoon and U.S. President-elect to Communicate Soon... North Korea Policy Equation Complex"

"Building ROK-US Security Posture with the New Washington Administration"
"Defense Cost-Sharing Agreement, Sufficient Consultation Between Both Countries"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Presidential Office stated on the 6th, "Once the results of the U.S. presidential election are announced, we expect an opportunity for communication between President Yoon Seok-yeol and the U.S. president-elect to be arranged promptly."

A senior official from the Presidential Office responded to questions regarding the timing of a 'Korea-U.S. summit' with the next U.S. president at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the same day, saying, "We have been maintaining close communication and policy consultations with key aides from both the Democratic and Republican presidential campaigns, as well as with advisors who have experience working in previous administrations."

Regarding the possibility of a change in South Korea's support policy for Ukraine following the election of candidate Trump, the official said, "There is still a lot of time before the next U.S. president takes office, and many variables exist," emphasizing, "What is important is that North Korea's participation in the war poses a direct threat to our security, and we will thoroughly review the necessary preventive measures."

On the schedule for the visit of the Ukrainian special envoy, the official stated, "Discussions about the Ukrainian special envoy are ongoing," adding, "It seems that internally, the Ukrainian side is almost finalized on who to send as the envoy and what agenda and issues to prepare." He further explained, "The extent of our cooperation can be discussed and decided after the envoy is dispatched first."

"Deployment of Monitoring Team to Ukraine War Needed... No Parliamentary Approval Required"

The Presidential Office official said, "Although North Korean troops have currently been dispatched to Russia, it is considered that full-scale combat has not yet begun. If combat involving our forces also starts, we will respond alongside Ukraine according to security needs, depending on the tactics employed by North Korea and Russia and the weapon systems used."

The official added, "In that context, a monitoring team of a certain scale is necessary on-site," and clarified, "Dispatching individuals does not require parliamentary approval."

Regarding the possibility of revising the Special Measures Agreement (SMA) on defense cost-sharing if candidate Trump is elected, the official said, "It is an agreement made between the two countries, and regardless of the U.S. election outcome, it will serve as a baseline reflecting thoroughly negotiated results." He also added, "What is important is not only the amount of defense cost-sharing itself but also that we have expanded various contributions within the Korea-U.S. alliance, and the U.S. campaign side is well aware of these contributions."

Addressing concerns that candidate Trump's election could introduce variables to North Korea policy, the official said, "North Korea's participation in the Ukraine war has complicated the equation of North Korea policy," adding, "We will seek to resolve immediate issues and separate the North Korea policy to be pursued over the mid-to-long term."

Regarding the Korea-U.S.-Japan summit scheduled within the year, the Presidential Office official said, "Once the election results are out, we expect the Biden administration in Washington to first organize its thoughts and then initiate discussions with South Korea and Japan." He emphasized, "Both President Yoon and President Joe Biden are firmly committed to holding another summit within the year, and Japan also agrees. However, the timing and location can only be decided after the election results are announced."

"We Will Establish Korea-U.S. Security Posture with the New Administration"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the case of a Korean semiconductor engineer detained on espionage charges by China, the official said, "What the Chinese government has disclosed seems to be a procedural step to tie up certain loose ends," adding, "We are still communicating unofficially with China."

Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, said at a briefing, "The U.S. presidential election has concluded, and North Korea is attempting to enhance threats to our security by dispatching troops to Russia," adding, "The government will establish a perfect Korea-U.S. security posture with the new Washington administration to ensure that our security does not waver even an inch."

Ahead of the midterm point of President Yoon’s term on the 10th, Deputy Director Kim emphasized the diplomatic achievements, saying, "In line with the vision of becoming a global pivotal state, we have built a global cooperation network to maximize our security and economic interests." He continued, "We approached the North Korean nuclear issue as a common challenge that threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula, the Indo-Pacific region, and global security as a whole," explaining, "We have tried to move away from policies aimed at temporary declarations or compromises between the South and North Korean regimes."