Despite political turmoil, Korea continues to prepare for Trump

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Despite political turmoil, Korea continues to prepare for Trump

Published: 15 Dec. 2024, 17:49 Updated: 15 Dec. 2024, 19:01

LIM JEONG-WON
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul speaks during a press conference at the ministry building in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Sunday. [YONHAP]

The South Korean government will proceed with preparations for the inauguration of the new U.S. administration under Donald Trump in January next year without delays, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul said Sunday.

“We will reexamine cooperative relations with the international community including major countries and strive to secure trust and support for the acting president system under Prime Minister Han Duck-soo as soon as possible,” said Cho at a press conference held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno District, central Seoul on Sunday. “Above all, we will actively work to maintain a solid South Korea-U.S. alliance and friendly South Korea-Japan cooperative relations and to maintain the momentum of trilateral cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo.

“Our ministry is working with determination to ensure that no diplomatic vacuum occurs,” added Cho.

Regarding a visit to Washington, Cho said that he spoke with his counterpart Antony Blinken recently but felt that there were matters to be discussed in person, claiming that the ministry is consulting with the U.S. to coordinate a trip.

Regarding concerns that the National Assembly’s passage of the impeachment motion against President Yoon Suk Yeol could create a vacuum in diplomatic relations, Cho said, “I believe this was dispelled by the phone call between U.S. President Joe Biden and acting president Han this morning.”

Related to the discussion, a senior Foreign Ministry official said that a meeting between President-elect Trump and Han could be “an agenda item that can be discussed within the larger framework of discussing normal diplomatic schedules.”

He also said that he would “review” whether to send a special envoy to the U.S. before President-elect Trump’s inauguration.

“We will take necessary measures to ensure that there are no security vacuums,” Cho emphasized, adding, “We will establish a full-scale readiness posture to respond resolutely to North Korea’s threats and provocations based on cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan.”

Cho also said, “we will maintain close communication so that we can develop our relationship with China stably.”

“We will actively carry out multilateral diplomatic schedules to quickly restore our international status and trust,” Cho said. “We will also push forward with existing bilateral and multilateral schedules, such as South Korea-Japan relations and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation [APEC] summit, without any disruption.”

Cho met with U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg immediately after the passage of the impeachment vote on Saturday, and the U.S. Embassy announced in a statement that “as always, the United States supports the Republic of Korea and the democratic and constitutional process here and stands with its people,” referring to South Korea by its official name.

“Our commitment to peace and security on the Peninsula and in the region is unwavering,” the statement read. “We will continue to be in close contact with the government as the democratic process continues in accordance with the constitution.”

Meanwhile, the Foreign Ministry pointed out regarding Russian Ambassador to South Korea Georgy Zinoviev’s remarks on the impact of the impeachment on South Korea-Russia relations that “it is inappropriate for a diplomatic envoy to South Korea to publicly mention the domestic political situation and bilateral relations.”

“If Russia wants to restore South Korea-Russia relations, the first thing it should do is stop the illegal Russia-North Korea military cooperation that threatens peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula,” a senior Foreign Ministry official said Sunday.

Zinoviev stated in a questions and answers session with the press that he released on social media on Saturday that “I hope that the dramatic events taking place in South Korea’s domestic politics will ultimately not hinder the possibility of restoration of bilateral relations but rather contribute to it.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [[email protected]]