President Park Geun-hye (left) and U.S. President Barack Obama hold a joint press conference after the Korea-U.S. summit at the White House on Oct. 17.
Korean and U.S. leaders formally released the “2015 Republic of Korea and United States of America Joint Statement on North Korea” on Oct. 17 (Korean time).
In the statement, both leaders stated that North Korea’s continual development of nuclear and ballistic missiles is an ongoing violation of multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions. They warned that, “In particular, if North Korea carries out a launch using ballistic missile technology or a nuclear test, it will face consequences, including seeking further significant measures by the U.N. Security Council.”
In the joint press conference following the summit talks, President Park Geun-hye particularly mentioned the Aug. 25 agreement over tensions on the Korean Peninsula. She said the agreement showed Seoul’s “will to cut the vicious circle of reward in exchange for Pyongyang’s provocations. It shows that the South Korean government’s North Korean policy direction will never be changed by the North’s provocations and threats.”
However, President Park also said that, “If North Korea is sincere in moving toward the goal of denuclearization, South Korea is willing to take cooperative measures along with the international community.”
President Barack Obama also showed the will of his administration to contribute to the economic development of North Korea if Pyongyang were to give up its nuclear weapons, saying, “The U.S. will be right at the table if North Korea wants a serious dialogue about giving up its nuclear program.”
In regard to the Korea-U.S. alliance, President Park said the bilateral alliance is “stronger than ever before. It is evolving as a comprehensive global alliance that encompasses security and economics, as well. The Korea-U.S. alliance is the key axis of peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific.”
In turn, President Obama said, “I want to reaffirm that the commitment of the United States to the defense and security of the Republic of Korea will never waver. Our alliance remains a linchpin of peace and security — not just on the Korean Peninsula, but across the region — and so South Korea plays a central role in America’s rebalance to the Asia Pacific.”
”President Obama affirmed that South Korea-U.S. relations and South Korea-China relations could be compatible and supported South Korea’s policies toward China,” said President Park in the press conference.
“Sometimes there’s a perception that if President Park meets with President Xi, that that must cause a problem for us,” President Obama said in this regard.
“We want South Korea to have a strong relationship with China, just as we want to have a strong relationship with China. We want to see China’s peaceful rise. We want them to be cooperating with us in putting pressure on the DPRK. We want to be working with them to uphold international norms and rules of the road,” he added.
By Wi Tack-whan, Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writers
Photos: Cheong Wa Dae
whan23@korea.kr
President Park Geun-hye (left) and U.S. President Barack Obama hold the joint press conference after the Korea-U.S. summit at the White House on Oct. 17. They reaffirmed the strong Korea-U.S. alliance in the summit.
President Park Geun-hye (left) and U.S. President Barack Obama answer questions during a joint press conference at the White House on Oct. 17.
