Washington, Dec 24
Seoul's foreign ministry has said that senior diplomats of South Korea and the US have agreed to fully resume bilateral diplomatic and security schedules, which were postponed in the aftermath of President Yoon Suk Yeol's botched martial law attempt.
Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell held their first talks in Washington after Yoon's short-lived martial law imposition on December 3 and his subsequent impeachment on December 14, amid concerns that the political turmoil in Seoul could affect the bilateral alliance, Yonhap news agency reported.
"The minister and the deputy secretary had discussions over schedules for high-level exchanges between South Korea and the US, and agreed to fully resume postponed diplomatic and security events and hold (them) at the earliest possible and mutually convenient time," the ministry said in a statement.
After Yoon's martial law declaration, Seoul and Washington put off a session of the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), the allies' key nuclear deterrence body, which was set to be held early this month. The Korea portion of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's trip to the Indo-Pacific this month was also cancelled.
The cancellation and postponement have fueled concerns that the turmoil in Seoul could undermine security coordination between the allies amid growing concerns over North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile programs and its deepening military partnership with Russia.
During their talks, Kim and Campbell agreed to further solidify the allies' combined defense posture, sharing the view that Seoul and Washington should prepare against the possibility that Pyongyang could "misjudge" the current political situation in Seoul and engage in various provocations, according to the ministry.
Before the talks, Campbell stressed the US' "strongest possible" commitment to South Korea.
"We are seeking to underscore our strongest possible commitment to the people and the country," Campbell told reporters. "We wish the ROK well in a challenging period. ROK is short for South Korea's official name, the Republic of Korea.
He also underscored Washington's "deep" belief in South Korea's democracy.
"I do want to just underscore here clearly our strong confidence in the ROK and our deep belief in the democracy and the constitutional provisions in the country," Campbell said.
Apparently mindful of allegations of insufficient communication between Seoul and Washington right after Yoon's martial law declaration, Campbell underscored that US officials have been "in the closest possible touch with our counterparts."
"Over the last few weeks, we have relied on essential communications with our colleagues and partners in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and I want to particularly compliment Vice Foreign Minister Kim for being so determined to keep in touch to make sure that we are kept up to date on important developments," he said.
Kim expressed Seoul's appreciation to the US for "unwavering" support for and trust in the bilateral alliance and South Korea's democracy.
"Let me assure you, deputy secretary and the US, that the governance under acting President Han Duck-soo is operating stably and what will unfold in Korea from now on will follow the democratic procedure in accordance with the Constitution and rule of law," Kim told reporters.
Prime Minister Han took over as acting president immediately after the National Assembly voted to impeach Yoon, suspending him from presidential duties until the Constitutional Court decides whether to reinstate or unseat him from office.
Han is a well-known figure in the US given that he served as South Korea's ambassador to the US from 2009-2012.
Asked when a new NCG session will be held, the deputy secretary expressed expectations that "critical mechanisms" in the bilateral relationship will remain in place.
