(2nd LD) Yonhap forum explores enhanced S. Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation amid Russia-N. Korea ties

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more details throughout; CHANGES photos)
By Kim Han-joo

SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- Officials, diplomats and security experts from South Korea, the United States and Japan on Friday called in unison for enhanced trilateral cooperation in light of burgeoning military ties between Russia and North Korea.

The participants gathered at an annual symposium held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul under the theme "Status and Challenges of Korea-US-Japan Trilateral Cooperation." The event is co-hosted by Yonhap News Agency, South Korea's leading newswire service, and the unification ministry.

The forum took place amid a complex security environment, underscored by a partnership pact signed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during their summit in Pyongyang earlier this month. The agreement is considered the strongest of its kind since the end of the Cold War.

In his message to the forum, President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed to overcome North Korea's provocations and the global polycrisis, citing the constant threat posed by North Korea's nuclear and missile development, as well as geopolitical tensions and rising energy, resource and food insecurity.

"We will further strengthen the institutional foundation and cooperation of the South Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation system and solidify solidarity and cooperation with nations that share our values," he said.

The military pact between Moscow and Pyongyang calls for the provision of military and other assistance from one side to the other "with all means" at their disposal and "without delay" if either of the two countries is invaded or enters a state of war.

"Growing military cooperation between Russia and the DPRK is of great concern to the trilateral countries, which are committed to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," U.S. Ambassador Philip Goldberg said in an opening speech.

DPRK stands for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The ambassador strongly criticized the military pact, labeling both Pyongyang and Moscow as "isolated countries, which flout international rules and norms" and "aggressors."

"More than ever, our alliance is crucial to peace and stability," the ambassador said.

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik said arms trade between North Korea and Russia is expected to expand after their leaders signed the pact.

"As Kim Jong-un said (North Korea-Russia) relations were elevated to the level of an alliance, their ties are expected to further deepen," Shin said. "Illegal weapons trade between the two countries is also expected to expand."

Amid concerns over burgeoning armament, Mira Rapp-Hooper, the U.S. National Security Council senior director for East Asia and Oceania, reiterated Washington's commitment to the security of the Korean Peninsula.

"The United States remains committed to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," the U.S. official said in a pre-recorded message.

"We are willing to consider interim steps on the path to denuclearization provided that these steps would make the region and the world a safer place for all of us," she added.

In addition to bilateral cooperation, senior officials emphasized the importance of trilateral security cooperation with Japan, noting that such efforts have enhanced the capability and readiness of the three countries against North Korean missile threats.

"These enhanced bilateral and trilateral defense exercises demonstrate the capability and readiness of our combined forces through the improved information sharing and increased cooperation and coordination on ballistic missile defense and in particular against the DPRK missile threat," Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Korea said.

Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima also emphasized the need to utilize the three countries, which simultaneously serve as members of the U.N. Security Council (UNSC) this year, as an occasion to bolster trilateral cooperation.

"In particular, it is important to take advantage of the opportunity that the three countries are simultaneously serving as members of the UNSC this year to further strengthen cooperation in international society. We are committed to strengthening trilateral cooperation," he said.

The ambassador further said Japan will continue to closely cooperate with the U.S. and South Korea to ensure the full implementation of UNSC resolutions against North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Despite the heightened crisis, Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho said South Korea will simultaneously make patient efforts to create conditions conducive to bringing North Korea back to the dialogue table.

"We will also continue to make efforts with patience to create conditions to prod North Korea to come back to the dialogue table," he said in the welcoming address.

The forum was followed by two comprehensive sessions.

The first session, titled "Korea's Choice in the Middle of the Global Complex Crisis and the Changing Situation in Northeast Asia," explored variables that can affect conditions for cooperation between the three countries.

Panelists included Robert Edwin Kelly, a professor at Pusan National University, Shinsuke J. Sugiyama, former vice minister for foreign affairs of Japan, as well as two South Korean lawmakers who previously served as diplomats.

They discussed potential issues that could arise if former U.S. President Donald Trump were to take any "drastic" actions should he return to the White House for a second term.

"If Trump is re-elected, he won't have to worry about the next election, so he will have the freedom to do as he pleases. Therefore, a second Trump term is more concerning," the former Japanese official said.

The second session focused on inter-Korean issues under the theme "North Korea Declares 'Two States' ... A Breakthrough in Inter-Korean Relations" featuring security experts.

The panelists delved deeply into the latest developments in North Korea, including its declaration of South Korea as its "invariable principal enemy," as earlier instructed by Kim Jong-un.

In his opening remarks, Seong Ghi-hong, CEO and president of Yonhap News Agency, expressed Yonhap's commitment to stand alongside South Korea, the U.S. and Japan in overcoming global complex crises and pursuing shared prosperity.

"Yonhap News Agency will join the journey of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan toward overcoming global complex crises and achieving shared prosperity," Seong said.

"Yonhap News Symposium on Korean Future" serves as a platform for domestic and international diplomatic and security experts to discuss global developments and engage in discussions for peace and the future of the Korean Peninsula. This year marks its 10th anniversary.

[email protected]
(END)