열린장관실

 

The Korea-US Relations
- A Vision for the Future -

By

H.E. Mr. Song Min-soon
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Republic of Korea

At a Luncheon

Hosted by CSIS/KEI

March 2, 2007

Washington D.C.
 

Mr. John Hamre, President of CSIS,

Mr. Charles Pritchard, President of KEI,

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen,

(Introduction)

I would first like to thank CSIS and KEI for inviting me to speak today, and for putting together this event on such short notice.  I am very pleased to meet old friends and see familiar faces.  And, as they are ones who have made tremendous contributions to keep the Korea-US relations strong, my special thanks goes to all of them.

This is an exciting time in Korea-US relations, as we work to modernize our alliance and expand our dynamic economic partnership.  So today, I would like to offer my views on the status of the Korea-US relationship and my vision for its future.  I would also like to touch on the North Korea nuclear issue and prospects for denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

(Korea-US Relations)

The Korea-US alliance was forged in blood during the Korean War, and stood strong and firm against the communist threat of the Cold War.

For over a half century, the US commitment to Korea's defense has been indispensable to the maintenance of peace and security on the Korean peninsula.  The US is Korea's sole treaty ally, and its cooperation and support have been a strong wind in Korea's sail towards economic development and full-fledged democracy.

Over the years, the cooperative relationship between the two countries has expanded from military and security into all other areas including economy and trade, social, cultural, education, and the arts.

During the post-Cold War and 9/11 era, Korea and the US have continued to strengthen the alliance as partners pursuing common interests and opposing common threats.

Korea and the US are strong partners in promoting universal values including democracy, market economy, human rights, and the rule of law. Korea and the US share strategic interests in securing peace and stability in the region and in preventing rivalry between major powers in the region.  Korea joins the US in unequivocally opposing proliferation of WMDs, including nuclear weapons.

In short, I believe Korea is uniquely positioned to cooperate with the US in realizing our shared vision of a stable and prosperous Northeast Asia.

However, even the cleanest water from the freshest well will eventually turn foul if left stagnant.  This is also the case with relationships; therefore the Korea-US alliance must be able to adjust to changing situations and needs in the years to come.

Our two countries have been closely working to modernize the alliance. As was agreed by our two Presidents, Korea and the US are endeavoring to forge an institutional framework to raise the relationship to a more comprehensive, dynamic, and mutually beneficial partnership.

In the political and security field, the two governments have initiated the Strategic Consultation for Allied Partnership, annual strategic dialogue between Foreign Ministers, in addition to the annual Security Consultative Meeting(SCM).  We intend to strengthen these consultation channels as they provide a good framework for more efficient coordination.  Meanwhile, our two governments are making progress in the base relocation that will provide a more stable and comfortable stationing environment for US forces in Korea. 

And we are working together to equip Korean forces with the capability to assume operational control. As our military leaders agreed on the timeline for the Operational Control transfer last week, two countries will draw up a detailed plan to make this happen efficiently and effectively while not compromising the strong joint defense posture.

In the economic realm, our two governments are working virtually day and night to successfully conclude the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), with the firm belief that close economic ties is an extremely important pillar in our bilateral relationship.

Of course, the FTA negotiations should be conducted with a view to expanding mutual and balanced economic benefits to the greatest extent possible. Economic principles are the guiding light.  But the benefits of its successful conclusion go beyond economics alone, spilling over to create new future horizons in our bilateral relationship.

In addition, our two countries are working to promote Korea’s inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.  Just as an FTA promotes the free flow of goods and services, providing for freer travel between our two people will lead to better mutual understanding and enhance relations in various sectors.

When we look to the future, we envision an ever-more healthy and robust alliance in which Korea will have the capability to stand more on its own, and thus will be more capable and better prepared to help the US in pursuing its global strategy.

The US tends to zoom-in on the Korean peninsula from a global perspective, while Korea, keen on keeping peace and stability on the peninsula, tends to zoom-out for a regional perspective.  But together, Korea and the US are continuously working to forge and expand common understanding on the future vision and raison d'etre of the alliance.

You could think of the Korea-US alliance as a house undergoing renovation and expansion.  There may be noise in the process - but no cause for alarm.  It is the sound of progress leading to a better livelihood.

To cite one example:  When I served as chief negotiator from 1996 to 2000 to revise the Status of Forces Agreement, polls showed that over 70 percent of the Korean people supported the US forces stationed in Korea, while around 90 percent also supported revising the agreement.  It was clear to us that in order to strengthen the Korea-US alliance, we had to improve the outdated SOFA in a way that was mutually acceptable. 

Against all forecasts to the contrary, we eventually reached an agreement.  And I found great satisfaction in playing a part in the process that contributed to updating the Korea-US alliance.

To cite a recent example, the Korean government decided to extend its troop deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and newly contribute troops to UN Peacekeeping Forces in Lebanon(UNIFIL).  Although those decisions were not easy, they have become a strong force in promoting the alliance.

There will no doubt be more difficult tasks ahead of us.  But if we keep the spirit of the alliance alive and gather our wisdom and will, then we will successfully conclude the readjustment of the alliance.  And even though much of our attention is drawn to Korean peninsula issues such as national unification and the North Korean nuclear program, I truly hope that we enlarge the scope of the alliance into a strategic partnership that will work closely together on regional and global issues, and further promote universal values.

(DPRK Nuclear Issue)

At present, the most urgent and significant strategic task our two countries face is the peaceful resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue. We, Koreans, believe that the future of the Korean people, South and North, lies in a denuclearized peninsula.

The September 2005 Joint Statement and the February 13th Agreement are products of close Korea-US cooperation based on the common goals of denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and thus preventing a potential nuclear arms race in the region and beyond.

While we responded firmly to Pyongyang’s missile and nuclear tests by suspending assistance to the North and backing the stiff UN Security Resolutions 1695 and 1718, we also exerted diplomatic efforts to steer the situation toward dialogue.

In their summit of September 2006, President Roh and President Bush had very constructive discussions on ways to resume the Six-Party Talks, and undertook the "common and broad approach" which served as the basis for the agreement reached in Beijing last month.

The Six-Party Talks have now moved into the phase of "action for action."

The beauty of February 13th Agreement is:

 - First, its multilateral character adds further weight and binding force.

 - Second, the Agreement outlines an implementation timeline, thus inducing expeditious dismantlement of the nuclear programs.

 - And lastly, its performance-based approach is conditioned on North Korea's nuclear disablement and dismantlement.

Hence, I would like to make it clear that our common and shared efforts to assist North Korea is entirely dependent upon whether it faithfully carries out its obligations specified in the Agreement.

All these elements were possible thanks to the open-minded dialogue between our two governments regarding the future of the Korea and the shared interest of the two allies in the peace, security, and prosperity of the Northeast Asia.

Of course, the February 13th Agreement is significant in that it is to lay a foundation to prevent additional production of nuclear materials by the North and further expedite the final resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue.

Furthermore, it paves the way for establishing permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula and the normalization of US-DPRK and Japan-DPRK relations.

At the same time, when the Six-Party Talks achieve denuclearization and succeed in incorporating North Korea into the global community, this forum will serve as a basis for a multilateral security regime in Northeast Asia.  The experience of resolving one of the region’s most serious security threats through cooperation and coordination will serve as a major asset in responding to new security challenges.

We will muster all efforts to fulfill the stated goals through the Six-Party ministerial meeting. It is also agreed that the directly related parties will discuss the peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Discussion on the peace regime will, in this regard, be conducted with the solid understanding that it will not weaken the Korea-US alliance.  In particular, the role of US Forces Korea as a stabilizing force in the region will remain unchanged.

I have heard questions as to whether North Korea can be trusted to abandon its nuclear program.  But I think that to dwell on this speculation is rather futile.  Rather, we had better focus our efforts on convincing the North that resolving the nuclear issue once and for all far better serves its greater interest.  Showing North Korea that the clouds hovering over it have a silver lining will help dispel its sense of insecurity so it may breathe comfortably in its nuclear-free future.  In this case, security is a subjective state of mind rather than an objective condition of being.

In the end, what we need is a comprehensive and multi-layered process that encompasses politics, security, and economics in order to induce North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and programs.  Hence, the comprehensive approach of the September 19th 2005 Joint Statement and the latest February 13th Agreement both touch on economic and energy cooperation, normalization of relations, and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

As we proceed with diplomatic efforts to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue and beyond, we need to be ready to make the political and economic investments.  These investments will resolve the issue, and the "yield" we gain in the process will incomparably outweigh the costs.

The "yield" or benefits that we can expect include:

 - Removing the nuclear threat posed by North Korea and preventing a potential nuclear arms race in Northeast Asia.

 - Providing lessons for non-proliferation initiatives and strengthening the global non-proliferation regime which faces volatile times.

 - Opening a way to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. 

 - Making an evolution into a new form of multilateral security cooperation in Northeast Asia.

With that much at stake, we have ample reasons to carefully think and vigorously act as bold strategists rather than hair-splitting negotiators.

The common strategic goal of the Korea and the US is, ultimately, to bring about positive change in North Korea.

In particular, I believe there is a meeting of the minds between us on the need to enhance the quality of life of the North Korean people.

Therefore, I believe our two countries will maintain seamless coordination to address the nuclear issue and to see Pyongyang incorporated into the community of Northeast Asia through transformation amid stability.

The Korean government, through the policy of peace and prosperity has pursued the improvement in inter-Korean relations in tandem with progress in the North Korean nuclear issue.

Now the February 13th Agreement reenergizes dynamics for advancing the inter-Korean relationship.  The Korean government will maintain close coordination with the US in moving forward in the inter-Korean talks, with a view to reinforcing progress at the Six-Party Talks.  In other words, we plan to manage inter-Korean relations strategically so as to enable the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue as this will in turn lead to promotion of inter-Korean dialogue, and vice versa.

(Conclusion)

Let me conclude my remarks with a few final points

First, it is high time that our two countries adopt a multi-dimensional approach with a vision, beyond resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, to create a new security framework that will further solidify peace and security on the Korean peninsula and Northeast Asia.

Second, we may say that our two countries' well-coordinated approach to North Korea and its nuclear issue and successful modernization of our alliance are two branches grown out of the same tree.  From time to time, there may arise minor differences as we move toward a modernized alliance and coordinate strategy to resolve issues like North Korea's nuclear program.

However, I firmly believe that these differences can be overcome and actually they have been successfully overcome.  We can always find a solution if we try to expand our understanding of each other and tackle outstanding issues with the firm conviction that we, after all, are advancing our common goals.  This is my strong belief grown out of my on-the-field experience of the last three decades.  Furthermore, I am sure that this represents the underlying spirit shared by people of our two countries.

Finally, the Korea-US alliance has been instrumental in maintaining peace and prosperity in the region.  Meanwhile, it has shown tremendous resilience to adapt to changing circumstances.  I fully trust that this alliance will further evolve into a more comprehensive and dynamic partnership that not only shares common ideology and values but also strategic interest on the Korean peninsula, Northeast Asia and beyond.  Thank you.

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