Interim US ambassador says Seoul, Washington could be more aligned on Beijing
South Korean lawmakers who are members of the South Korea-US interparliamentary alliance held their first meeting on Monday, in a rare display of bipartisan enthusiasm.
Woo Won-shik, speaker of the National Assembly, said in congratulatory remarks that a bipartisan gathering for boosting the resilience of the alliance with the US was "especially meaningful" as South Korea rises from the aftermath of suspended President Yoon Suk Yeol's short-lived martial law imposition in December last year.
Rep. Kwon Young-se, leader of the ruling People Power Party and a former minister of inter-Korean affairs, said his party was committed to "fostering the South Korea-US alliance based on shared values."
"Amid North Korea's advancing nuclear capabilities and military cooperation with Russia, our alliance with the US is key in our response to regional security," the ruling party leader said. "I hope the lawmakers' alliance will prove a significant platform for fortifying the relationship of the two countries across sectors."
Joseph Yun, the US interim ambassador in Seoul, said he welcomed the launch of the lawmakers' alliance as South Korea and the US celebrate 72 years of mutual defense relations.
Speaking in a session about the path forward for the two countries, Yun said there was an "enormous amount of dependency by the US on South Korea."
"South Korea is a major trading partner and a major investor in the US, creating jobs. It is the only mainland in Asia where the US has troops," he said. "I think these three points will be heavily emphasized when there is a meeting between (US) President Trump and the South Korean president next time."
On how South Korea could "help the US more," Yun named the US rivalry with China. "The US' biggest competitor is China. We've seen China become aggressive in many spaces," he said.
The interim ambassador, noting how public perception of China has changed in South Korea over the years, said Seoul's position on Beijing could align more closely with that of Washington.
"For me, coming back after close to 20 years, it's been very surprising to see the Korean public perception of China becoming more and more negative," Yun said. "I think we need to make sure that such sentiments are shared, and also in terms of trade and security that the South Korean position is completely aligned."
Yun added that Trump would ask Russia that North Korean troops withdraw from Ukraine as early as possible.
Foreign Affairs Minister Cho Tae-yul and Industry Minister Ahn Duk-geun attended Monday's inaugural meeting.
The foreign minister said he welcomes the "strategic and creative approach" to the country's relations with the US. On lawmakers mentioning strengthening ties with US states where South Korean companies are investing heavily, such outreach was "something to be welcomed," he said.
The South Korean chapter of the alliance is co-led by Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Chung Dong-young, a one-time presidential candidate who also served as minister of inter-Korean affairs, and People Power Party Rep. Cho Kyung-tae, one of only a few lawmakers in the current Assembly to serve a sixth term.
Chung and Cho visited the US from Feb. 10-16 as part of a bipartisan delegation to prepare for the launch of the lawmakers' alliance between the two countries.
In opening remarks, Chung raised concerns about US President Donald Trump singling out South Korea for supposedly applying high tariffs on the US during his recent address to the US Congress.
"Under the free trade agreement, South Korea and the US have close to zero tariffs. But this reality points to a need for various channels for diplomacy with the US, and why establishing a South Korea-US lawmakers' alliance is significant," the Democratic Party lawmaker said.
Cho similarly highlighted South Korea's agile response to the changes in trade policies in Trump's second nonconsecutive term. "With the inauguration of the second Trump administration, the creation of the South Korea-US lawmakers' alliance provides an important opportunity to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two parliaments," the People Power Party lawmaker said.
The alliance's two vice presidents are Democratic Party Rep. Kim Young-bae, who is deputy chair of the National Assembly's foreign affairs committee, and People Power Party Rep. Cho Jung-hun, who was the country manager for the World Bank's branch in Uzbekistan.
Among the alliance's 30-member board are Democratic Party Rep. Wi Sung-lac, who was South Korea's envoy to Russia, and People Power Party Rep. Kim Gunn, who was South Korea's nuclear envoy.
The bipartisan alliance brings together more than half of the 300-seat Assembly — 162 lawmakers — from the two parties as well as minor parties, including the ruling People Power Party Rep. Yohan Ihn, South Korea's first American Korean lawmaker.
People Power Party Rep. Park Choong-kwon, a missile scientist from Pyongyang who defected to the South in 2009, and Democratic Party Rep. Park Sun-won, who was the National Intelligence Service's deputy director under former President Moon Jae-in, are also members.
arin@heraldcorp.com
