South Korean envoy warns North that provocations strengthen trilateral resolve

Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun-dong speaks with the press in Washington D.C. on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

North Korea’s military provocations will only strengthen the resolve of South Korea, the United States and Japan to bolster their security cooperation, South Korean Ambassador to the United States Cho Hyun-dong told reporters in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday.

"As President Yoon Suk Yeol emphasized, we will never waver or give in to North Korea's provocations,” Cho said.

Cho's comments came on the heels of the North's third cruise missile salvo within a week.

According to recent local media reports, Seoul and Washington agree that while the North may be ramping up military provocations, it is not preparing for an all-out war with South Korea.

Otherwise, the North would not have supplied missiles and other military equipment to Russia to aid its aggression against Ukraine, according to these reports.

Adding that the governments of South Korea and the United States were “in communication with many friendly countries” to respond sternly to arms deals between the North and Russia, Cho said that efforts to engage the North with dialogue and diplomacy will also continue.

“We will strive to create a strategic environment in which North Korea can return to dialogue,” he said.

The envoy also alluded to ongoing discussions between Seoul and Washington on U.S. extended deterrence in the Korean Peninsula, adding that the two governments are close to “completing the extended deterrence guideline.”

In light of the upcoming elections in both Seoul and Washington — the general election in April in Korea and the presidential election in November in the United States — Cho stressed that the bilateral alliance will remain key to their relationship regardless of the election outcome.

As one of the first high-level meetings between the two countries following the inauguration of a new foreign minister in Korea, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy, and the Environment Jose Fernández visited Korea Wednesday.

Fernandez was leading a delegation to take part in the regular bilateral dialogue on economic affairs, the Senior Economic Dialogue.

“Discussions will take place on various aspects, including trade and investment, supply chains, and energy security,” Cho said.

The envoy also stressed that the South Korean government was in close communication “across all channels” in the United States to ensure that Korean companies received fair treatment regarding the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

Under the tightened IRA, which began in 2024, an eligible clean vehicle may not contain any battery components that are “manufactured or assembled by” a foreign entity of concern (FEOC) to qualify for up to $7,500 in tax credits.

Starting in 2025, an eligible clean vehicle “may not contain any critical minerals that were extracted, processed or recycled by an FEOC."

A FEOC is one owned, controlled or subject to the jurisdictions of China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, according to the U.S. Department of the Treasury's guidance.

With the law coming into effect, the number of EV models eligible for the credits fell sharply to 19 from last year's 43.

No Hyundai and Kia EVs are currently eligible as they have no assembly plants in North America.

Hyundai Motor called on the U.S. government to provide a temporary IRA exemption last week.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]