1. An international academic conference marking the 60th anniversary of the alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States took place on September 27. The conference themed “ROK-US Alliance: 60 Years’ Evolution and the Future” was co-hosted by the Korean Association of International Studies and the Asan Institute for Policy Studies.

2. First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Kim Kyou-hyun delivered congratulatory remarks at the opening ceremony of the conference. In his remarks, the Vice Minster noted the following:

° The ROK-US alliance has been a solid foundation for the ROK’s economic growth known as “Miracle on the Han-gang (river)” and democratization, and contributed to peace and prosperity in East Asia.

° The ROK-US alliance has evolved from a security cooperation into a comprehensive strategic alliance of the 21st century, based on broad cooperation in the political, economic and cultural fields as well as people-to-people exchanges. He went on to say that the alliance rests on mutual trust and shared values such as freedom, democracy, and market economy, and is expanding its horizons towards becoming a truly global partnership.

° On the firm foundations of trust, the ROK-US alliance is making a leap toward a “trust alliance” in the spirit of the "Joint Declaration in Commemoration of the 60th Anniversary of the Alliance between the Republic of Korea and the United States of America" issued by the two leaders on the occasion of President Park Geun-hye’s state visit to the US in May. President Park outlined three elements of her vision for the ROK-US alliance in her address to the joint meeting of the US Congress – the “trust-building process on the Korean Peninsula,” the “Northeast Asia peace and cooperation initiative” and the “pursuit of peace and prosperity in the global community.”

3. The conference brought together a number of local and foreign experts related to the ROK-US alliance, including Chairman of the East Asia Institute Ha Young-sun and Scott Snyder, Senior Fellow for Korea Studies and Director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy at the US Council on Foreign Relations. From the Foreign Ministry, Director-General for Policy Planning Shin Beom-chul took part in the discussions on key matters related to the ROK-US alliance, including its evolution; its pending issues; international politics in East Asia; and the vision for its modernization. 


                   Spokesperson and Deputy Minister for Public Relations of MOFA

*unofficial translation