ROK-U.S. News

Yonhap – S. Korea-U.S.-Japan summit outcomes herald deeper, consistent security cooperation against N. Korean, other challenges: analysts

By Song Sang-ho

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) — From a shared commitment to crisis consultation to the “principles” of trilateral engagement, the outcomes from this week’s landmark summit between South Korea, the United States and Japan are likely to put their once-fragile security cooperation on a more robust, sustainable, consistent footing, analysts said Saturday.President Yoon Suk Yeol and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden and Fumio Kishida, adopted a series of documents committing each other to sturdier three-way cooperation during their historic summit at Camp David in Maryland on Friday, underscoring their deepening solidarity amid North Korea’s saber-rattling, China’s assertiveness and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The documents entailed agreements to consult with one another in the event of a common threat and hold three-way talks between the leaders, foreign ministers, defense ministers and national security advisers at least annually, as well as an intention to hold annual “multi-domain” military exercises on a regular basis.

They represented telltale signs of the three-way partnership being institutionalized as a thaw in the relations between Seoul and Tokyo — long fraught with historical and territorial spats — has created an opening for the three nations to close ranks and confront shared challenges.

“We made history with the first-ever standalone summit between the leaders of our three countries as well as our commitment to meet together on the leader level annually and to have all our relative Cabinet member people meet on a regular basis from this point on, not just this year, not next year, forever,” Biden told reporters at Camp David, a place that he said symbolizes the “power of new beginnings and new possibilities.”

“In the months and years ahead, we’re going to continue to seize those possibilities together … unwavering in our unity and unmatched in our resolve,” he added.

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a joint press conference with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Yoon Suk Yeol and Fumio Kishida, at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks during a joint press conference with his South Korean and Japanese counterparts, Yoon Suk Yeol and Fumio Kishida, at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

Just years ago, the scene of the three leaders meeting trilaterally in a stand-alone setting with such a level of unity was seldom anticipated as historical grievances stemming from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea have gotten in the way of attempts at deepening trilateral cooperation.

Even more so as tensions spilled over into economic and security domains as witnessed in export control rows between Seoul and Tokyo as well as a rancorous spat over low-altitude flybys by Japanese maritime patrol aircraft over South Korean warships in 2018 and 2019.

But the Yoon administration’s decision in March to resolve the issue of Japan’s wartime forced labor has given rise to a thaw in the bilateral ties, while North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats have underscored the urgency for the two neighbors to patch things up.

In the midst of an intensifying Sino-U.S. rivalry, Biden has been seen promoting rapprochement between Seoul and Tokyo, apparently harnessing his experience as vice president during the Barack Obama administration that helped foster a thaw between the neighbors as seen in a 2015 deal to address the issue of Japan’s wartime sexual slavery.

A series of agreements contained in their summit documents marked a culmination of tripartite efforts to bring three-way cooperation to what officials have called a “new height.”

Yoon, Biden and Kishida adopted the documents, titled the “Camp David Principles,” the “Commitment to Consult,” and the “Spirit of Camp David,” to chart a future course of their cooperation on a sustainable and consistent basis as well as a wider range of areas, including defense, economic security and technology.

Their summit agreements also highlighted their tightening alignment on geopolitically sensitive issues, like those concerning the South China Sea — a crucial waterway plagued by competing territorial claims — and Taiwan, the self-governed democratic island that China claims as its territory.

On the North Korean front, the three leaders agreed to operationalize the real-time sharing of North Korean missile warning data by the end of this year, establish a new trilateral working group to combat North Korea’s cyberthreats and block its cyber-enabled sanctions evasion, and hold annual multi-domain exercises regularly.

These agreements are bound to rile North Korea and China, but security uncertainties stemming from them have driven Seoul, Washington and Tokyo to such a level of cooperation short of what could amount to a formal collective defense mechanism, analysts said.

“The agreements highlight that three-way cooperation is being institutionalized to ensure that it would not swing or fluctuate due to a leadership change or other factors in each other’s capital,” Kim Yeol-su, a senior security expert at the Korea Institute for Military Affairs, said.

“With the countries’ cooperation regularized among the leaders, foreign and defense ministers and national security advisers, it can gain greater sustainability, continuity and predictability,” he added.

U.S. officials indicated that the Camp David summit agreements centered on efforts to “lock in” three-way engagement and make it difficult to “backtrack.”

“Today, we are going to lay a strong foundation for this trilateral partnership to make sure that it’s deep, it is strong and that it’s built to last,” U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters before the summit.

“We’re opening a new era and we’re making sure that era has staying power … So that means regularizing meetings between our leaders and our senior officials on an annual basis to discuss the broad agenda of security technology, regional strategy, economic partnership and more,” he added.

Despite such an upbeat assessment, there are still variables that could potentially hamper the implementation of summit agreements.

Nam Chang-hee, a professor of political science at Inha University, took note of possible “constraints,” such as lingering historical tensions between South Korea and Japan, China’s expected resistance to the closer-knit three-way partnership and U.S. domestic politics, where there are undercurrents of isolationism.

“Still, it’s a meaningful move towards optimized trilateral cooperation,” Nam said.

The summit agreement on the “commitment to consult” in the event of a crisis added to the speculation that Seoul, Washington and Tokyo are on course to create a formal alliance, but officials have dismissed the notion.

“It is not a formal alliance commitment, it is not a collective defense commitment that is lifted from an early Cold War security treaty,” a U.S. administration official told reporters earlier this week.

President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden (C) and Fumio Kishida, address a joint press conference at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and his U.S. and Japanese counterparts, Joe Biden (C) and Fumio Kishida, address a joint press conference at Camp David in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230819001400325?section=national/diplomacy

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Yonhap – Trilateral summit commitments will effectively bolster cooperation to alliance-like levels: experts

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) — The agreements reached at a trilateral summit between the leaders of South Korea, Japan and the United States Friday will heighten the countries’ three-way cooperation to new levels just short of forming a formal alliance, U.S. experts said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida agreed to consult swiftly with one another when any of their three countries face regional challenges, provocations or threats during their historic three-way summit held at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

Biden said the leaders have also agreed to elevate the countries’ defense collaboration by conducting “annual multi-domain military exercises” that will bring their trilateral defense cooperation to “unprecedented levels.”

(From L to R) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida conduct a joint press conference following a trilateral summit meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

(From L to R) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida conduct a joint press conference following a trilateral summit meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

Victor Cha, senior vice president for Asia and Korea Chair at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a think tank based in Washington, said the countries may be unable to call it a formal alliance but that it certainly sounds like one.

“I know that for political reasons they cannot talk about a trilateral alliance. But if you look at all of the new high-level trilateral meetings set up from the president down to the cabinet-level and the range of issues they cover, it almost looks like they are reproducing what they do bilaterally with each country to a trilateral format,” he told Yonhap News Agency in an email.

“They may not call it a trilateral alliance. But it sure has the aroma of one,” added Cha.

Andrew Yeo, a professor of politics from the Catholic University of America, nearly agreed, saying the U.S. may not be interested in building a new treaty alliance but a “robust partnership” that will serve the same purpose.

“The U.S. has moved away from the post-1945 alliance model of setting up mutual defense treaties to creating alliance structures that are more flexible and resilient,” said Yeo, who is also a senior fellow at the Brooking Institution, a nonprofit organization based in Washington.

“I do not think the U.S. (nor its allies) are interested in creating an Asian NATO. Rather, they want to build a robust partnership that also overlap and engage other existing bilateral, trilateral, and minilateral groupings to address threats from China and North Korea,” he added.

One of the key accomplishments of the trilateral summit was a commitment to consult trilaterally and to coordinate responses to regional challenges, provocations and threats facing any of the three countries, which U.S. officials said will further cement the countries’ three-way cooperation for years to come.

The new commitments by the leaders could well be reversed by subsequent administrations in their home countries, but it would be difficult to do so, the experts noted.

(From L to R) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk together following their trilateral summit meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

(From L to R) South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida walk together following their trilateral summit meeting at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023. (Yonhap)

“All statements, including a legally binding international treaty can be breached. However, the “commitment to consult” reflects the political will of the three governments with the expectation that future governments will also adhere to this commitment,” Yeo said.

“Holding regularly, frequent meetings across various agencies can help institutionalize relations which can increase the chance of U.S.-Japan-Korea trilateral commitments to extend longer term,” he added.

Cha noted the scope of trilateral dialogue the countries will be engaged in.

“I think that the creation of a suite of regular trilaterals at the cabinet-level, including foreign ministers, defense, commerce, national security advisors, as well as leader-level summits on a portfolio of issues including defense exercises, missile defense, intel-sharing, economic security, supply chains, cyber, AI, etc. is a totality of commitment to trilateralism that is historic and should be able to last into future administrations,” he said.

Bruce Klingner, senior research fellow at the Washington-based Heritage Foundation, highlighted the speed with which the countries seek to implement their new commitments.

“All the actions taken at Camp David face potential reversal by subsequent administrations. That is why the three leaders are attempting to make rapid, extensive progress on enhancing trilateral cooperation and institutionalizing its implementation so that it is more difficult or less advantageous for subsequent administrations to reverse the progress,” he said.

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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230819001300325?section=national/diplomacy

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Yonhap – Yoon, Biden, Kishida to announce multiyear joint military exercise plan: U.S. official

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) — The leaders of South Korea, Japan and the United States will announce a multiyear exercise plan at their historic trilateral summit Friday, which will better prepare their countries against North Korea’s evolving military threats, a senior U.S. official said.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will lay a “strong foundation” for strong trilateral cooperation that is built to last as they hold their first-ever stand-alone trilateral summit at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said.

“We are going to lay a strong foundation for this trilateral partnership to make sure that it’s deep, it is strong and that it’s built to last,” he told a press briefing at Camp David, where the leaders of the three countries will meet later in the day.

“We are announcing significant steps to enhance trilateral security cooperation in the region in the face of North Korean provocations, including a multiyear exercise plan, deeper coordination and integration on ballistic missile defense, and improving information sharing and crisis communication and the policy coordination that goes along with responding to contingencies in the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, attends a press conference at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023, ahead of the U.S. leader's trilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. (Yonhap)

Jake Sullivan, national security adviser to U.S. President Joe Biden, attends a press conference at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023, ahead of the U.S. leader’s trilateral meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. (Yonhap)

Sullivan explained the joint exercises component will be part of efforts to make sure the countries’ trilateral cooperation will last.

“We’ve had one-off exercises in the past, particularly in response to DPRK provocations,” he said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“What the leaders will commit to today is a multiyear planning process for the military exercises in all domains — air, land, sea, undersea, cyber, etc. — and that means that you will start to see a kind of momentum and inertia built into the planning processes of our three national security establishments with a horizon that extends not just a year out, three years out, but quite extensively,” he added.

The three-way summit, the fourth of its kind to be held in the Biden administration, has prompted speculation that the U.S. may be pushing to form a three-way alliance to counter China’s increasing assertiveness, as well as North Korea’s evolving threats and Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

Sullivan said the U.S. has not set an “explicit goal” to form a trilateral alliance.

“We have not set an end point about formal trilateral alliance. We have strong and deep and decadeslong bilateral alliances with both Japan and the ROK. We would like to see them continue to strengthen their cooperation, and for this three-way collaboration to get deeper and more institutionalized,” he told the press briefing.

Sullivan also dismissed China’s recent criticism that the U.S. seeking to build a mini NATO-like alliance in the Indo-Pacific.

“First, it’s explicitly not a NATO for the Pacific,” he said. “Second, we’ve had a combined 150 years of alliance cooperation with Japan and Korea, so this is, in that sense, the work that we are doing with these two countries is not new. What is new is that we are now stitching all of our work together to try to enhance regional stability and security.”

“And then, finally, I would just underscore that this summit today, this partnership is not against anyone. It is for something. It is for a vision of the Indo-Pacific that is free, open, secure and prosperous,” he added, insisting the trilateral cooperation will be a “net contributor” to security and stability in the region.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (C, front) arrives at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023, to attend his trilateral summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. (Yonhap)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (C, front) arrives at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland on Aug. 18, 2023, to attend his trilateral summit meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. (Yonhap)

To this end, the three leaders will announce new initiatives that will benefit all countries in the Indo-Pacific, including China, according to Sullivan.

“I would just point out that in all of those decades of cooperation we’ve had with Japan and the ROK, we have helped safeguard stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, and that has created the conditions for all of the countries of the region to do well economically, by the way, including China,” he said.

“We are unveiling new economic and energy security initiatives, including an early warning mechanism for supply chain disruptions. Our three countries will announce new regional initiatives to build partner capacity throughout the Indo-Pacific, including in the maritime security domain, which will ensure that our cooperation benefits not just the people of our three countries, but the people of the entire region,” added Sullivan.

The top U.S. national security adviser declined to confirm recent reports suggesting the possible use of Russian missile technology in North Korean missiles, but said the U.S. is concerned and is taking a “hard look at” the possibility.

“We are concerned about the relationship, including the technology and security relationship between Russia and the DPRK,” he told the press briefing.

“Russia has been seeking to get material for its war effort in Ukraine from Pyongyang, from North Korea, and as they have done with other countries, like Iran, when they ask, they usually also offer some types of security cooperation in return. So that’s something that we are taking a hard look at,” he added.

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News articles do not necessarily reflect the views of KDVA. Any copyrighted materials depicted on this web site are presented for educational purposes only and no claim of ownership is made by KDVA.

Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230818009351325?section=national/diplomacy

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KDVA’s 2022-2023 theme is “We Are the Alliance.”  

KDVA’s 2022-2023 theme is “We Are the Alliance.”  Koreans and Americans who built and support the Alliance … are the Alliance.  So KDVA will devote more programs and activities to enhance the KDVA Membership Experience, through the “We Are the Alliance” Campaign which will include the following:

  • Improving membership application.
  • Improving membership portal.
  • Preparing to conduct surveys to seek your feedback.
  • Raising more awareness about Veterans.
  • Coordinating the Korea Revisit Program for Defense Veterans.
  • Opening more Local Chapters.
  • Opening virtual Common Interest Groups.
  • Telling more stories about Veterans.
  • Preparing for our first KDVA Reunion in the U.S.
  • Honoring the Alliance by sponsoring the annual “U.S.-ROK Alliance Day” on Oct. 1st.
  • Honoring KDVA Members at our annual Honors Gala.

Join KDVA to add your voice and influence to our mission of enhancing the ROK-U.S. Alliance and supporting our Veterans:  https://kdva.vet/join-kdva/.

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Yonhap – Biden to host trilateral summit with S. Korean, Japanese leaders at Camp David next month: White House

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON/ SEOUL, July 28 (Yonhap) — President Joe Biden will host a three-way summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida here in Washington next month, the White House said Friday.

The trilateral summit will be held at Camp David on Aug. 18.

“At the summit, the leaders will celebrate a new chapter in their trilateral relationship as they reaffirm their strong bonds of friendship and the ironclad alliances between the United States and Japan, and the United States and the Republic of Korea,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a press release, referring to South Korea by its official name.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ahead of their three-way talks in Hiroshima, Japan, in this May 21, 2023, file photo. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) speaks with U.S. President Joe Biden (L) and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida ahead of their three-way talks in Hiroshima, Japan, in this May 21, 2023, file photo. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

South Korea’s presidential office also confirmed the trilateral summit will be held at Camp David on Aug. 18.

“This summit will be an important opportunity to elevate the cooperation among the three countries that share core values to a new level,” presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said in a written press briefing.

“We expect the three nations to enhance the rules-based international order together and to make more active contributions to regional and global security and economic prosperity.”

As for the summit’s agenda, the spokesperson said the three leaders will hold in-depth discussions on policy coordination regarding the North Korean nuclear and missile threats, as well as cooperation on economic security and other major regional and global issues.

The proposed summit will be the first stand-alone trilateral summit to be held as the leaders of the U.S., South Korea and Japan have only held trilateral summits on the sidelines of other gatherings, such as regional meetings, in the past, Seoul officials have noted.

John Kirby, National Security Council coordinator for strategic communications, said the summit will also mark the first visit to Camp David by a foreign leader since 2015.

“At the summit, the leaders will celebrate a new chapter in their trilateral relationship, and they will reaffirm strong bonds of friendship,” Kirby told a telephonic press briefing.

Particularly, the leaders will discuss threats posed by North Korea’s evolving nuclear and missile programs, according to Jean-Pierre.

“The three leaders will discuss expanding trilateral cooperation across the Indo-Pacific and beyond — including to address the continued threat posed by the DPRK and to strengthen ties with ASEAN and the Pacific Islands,” the White House spokesperson said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

“The summit will advance a shared trilateral vision for addressing global and regional security challenges, promoting a rules-based international order, and bolstering economic prosperity,” she added.

North Korea staged an unprecedented 69 ballistic missile launches in 2022, marking a new record for the number of ballistic missiles fired in a year.

Pyongyang also launched an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in late May, marking its 12th ICBM test since the start of last year.

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News articles do not necessarily reflect the views of KDVA. Any copyrighted materials depicted on this web site are presented for educational purposes only and no claim of ownership is made by KDVA.

Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230729000252325?section=national/diplomacy

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Yonhap – ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ winner to sing ‘Arirang’ at Korean War armistice ceremony

SEOUL, July 24 (Yonhap) — A 93-year-old British veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War and winner of a major British TV competition will visit South Korea this week to perform in a ceremony commemorating the signing of the conflict’s armistice, Seoul’s veterans ministry said Monday.

Colin Thackery, who rose to fame after winning in “Britain’s Got Talent” in 2019, will sing the Korean folk song “Arirang” on Thursday at the event marking the 70th anniversary of the armistice’s signing in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, according to the ministry.

It is set to be attended by some 4,000 people, including veterans and government delegates of 22 countries that sent troops or other forms of support to assist South Korea during the war.

Minister Park Min-shik requested the veteran to perform at the ceremony after Thackery sang the song during their meeting in Britain in February.

The veteran was deployed to the Korean War in September 1950 at the age of 19 as a member of the 45th Field Royal Artillery. He fought in a fierce battle on Hill 327 and returned home in 1952.

Thackery said he sang “Arirang” with his comrades during the war despite not knowing what it meant, but he is now reminded of the song whenever he thinks of Korea, according to the ministry.

During his six-day visit through Saturday, Thackery will also perform in other commemorative events, including a dinner for veterans of the war on Wednesday in Busan.

It marks the first time for Thackery to visit the country under a revisit program by the South Korean government for veterans of the conflict.

Colin Thackery (L), "Britain's Got Talent" winner and veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War, poses for a photo with South Korean Veterans Minister Park Min-shik as they meet at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London on Feb. 3, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

Colin Thackery (L), “Britain’s Got Talent” winner and veteran of the 1950-53 Korean War, poses for a photo with South Korean Veterans Minister Park Min-shik as they meet at the Royal Hospital Chelsea in London on Feb. 3, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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CNN – US soldier who crossed into North Korea has history of assault and detention

New details have emerged about a US soldier who crossed into North Korea on Tuesday – but his exact whereabouts remain a mystery since the secretive country hasn’t said a word about the incident.

Court documents showed that Private Travis King, believed to be the first US soldier to cross into North Korea since 1982, had a history of assault, was facing disciplinary action over his conduct and was meant to go back to the US the day before the incident. An army official told CNN the private was set to be administratively separated from the US Army.

Details about how exactly King ended up on the North Korean side of the border remain unclear.

King had been on a tour of a border area as a civilian when he crossed the demarcation line.

His motive is also a mystery. King’s mother, Claudine Gates, told ABC she was “shocked” after being told by the US Army that her son had crossed into North Korea.

“I can’t see Travis doing anything like that,” Gates told ABC, adding that she heard from her son several days ago and he told her that he’d be returning to his base in Fort Bliss.

Travis King, the US soldier who ran across the military demarcation line into North Korea on Tuesday, July 18

The US has been actively reaching out to North Korea to resolve the situation, but it has not yet heard back, a defense official said Wednesday. It is typical of North Korea not to respond to US outreach, the defense official added.

Adm. John Aquilino, who is in charge of US Indo-Pacific Command, said Tuesday that the US has had “no contact at this point” with North Korea in regards to King. Speaking at the Aspen Security Forum on Tuesday, Aquilino said King “made a run across the demilitarized zone in the Joint Security Area, was picked up by the North Koreans, and we’ve had no contact at this point.”

Aquilino added that he has “gotten no reports” that King was a North Korea sympathizer.

The US Army has identified King as a cavalry scout who joined the military in January 2021. US officials did not say how long King had been in South Korea, but at some point he faced disciplinary action for assault and spent about 50 days in a detention facility.

King was held in a designated detention facility under the Status of Forces Agreement with South Korea, the officials said, which is an agreement that defines how US service members, their family members, and other Defense Department personnel are treated and processed in a foreign country, including its justice system

A US official told CNN that King was released from detention on July 10 and was set to fly back to the US on Monday.

Another official told CNN King was escorted to the airport by military officials, but the escorts were unable to accompany him to the gate and he ultimately did not board his flight.

History of assault

King appears to have a history of violent behavior. South Korean court documents show that he was accused of assault twice last year, and received a fine for one of the incidents.

Last October, he was accused of pushing and repeatedly punching a victim in the face in a club in Mapo-gu, Seoul, after being refused a drink he asked for, according to the Seoul Western District Court documents.

Following the alleged assault, King was taken into police custody and placed in the back seat of a patrol car, when he allegedly used offensive language against Korea, the Korean army and the Korean police while in anger, the court document said.

South Korean soldiers stand guard during a media tour at the Joint Security Area.

He then allegedly kicked the door of the patrol car several times, causing 583,959 Korean won (around $461) of damage, according to the court document. King was fined 5 million Korean won (around $4,000) as a result, the document stated.

The court document also referenced an earlier assault case against King from September 2022, which was dropped after the alleged victim expressed his intention not to press charges against King. South Korean police told CNN that King was transferred to US military police after an investigation into an assault last September. It is unclear whether the incident they were referring to was the same case that was dismissed by the court.

It is unclear whether the time he spent in detention was related to these incidents.

CNN’s Haley Britzky, Oren Liebermann, Natasha BertrandGawon BaeBrad LendonRob PichetaKevin Liptak and Simone McCarthy contributed reporting.


Article: https://www.cnn.com/2023/07/19/asia/north-korea-us-soldier-travis-king-intl/index.html

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Yonhap – U.S. national crosses military demarcation line into N. Korea: U.N. Command

SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) — A U.S. citizen has crossed the military demarcation line separating the two Koreas into North Korea without authorization, the U.S.-led U.N. Command (UNC) said Tuesday.

The man moved into the North during a tour to the Joint Security Area in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and is believed to be in North Korea’s custody, according to the UNC.

The command did not elaborate on other details.

“We … are working with our KPA counterparts to resolve this incident,” the UNC said in a tweet referring to the North’s Korean People’s Army.

The incident came as Pyongyang is expected to respond angrily to the first U.S. nuclear-capable ballistic missile submarine visit to South Korea in decades and the inaugural session of the allies’ Nuclear Consultative Group in Seoul this week.

Some observers raised the possibility that the incident could lead to direct engagement between Washington and Pyongyang on the release of the U.S. national and other bilateral issues.

The UNC oversees activities in the DMZ.

This file photo, taken March 3, 2023, shows South Korean troops on guard duty at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. (Yonhap)

This file photo, taken March 3, 2023, shows South Korean troops on guard duty at the inter-Korean truce village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone separating the two Koreas. (Yonhap)

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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230718008252325?section=national/defense


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Yonhap – S. Korea, U.S. conduct joint analysis on possible Korean War remains

SEOUL, May 15 (Yonhap) — South Korea and the United States began joint regular identification work Monday on possible remains of American soldiers killed during the 1950-53 Korean War, Seoul’s defense ministry said.

The two-day examinations on the remains suspected to be those of four U.S. soldiers got under way between officials from the ministry’s war remains excavation team and the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) at the team’s office in southern Seoul.

DPAA Laboratory Director John Byrd joined this week’s examinations that will focus on analyzing the age, race and the cause of death of the remains based on combat records and other reports, according to the ministry.

One set of the remains was found at a former battle site, Arrowhead Ridge, in the border county of Cheorwon, 85 kilometers northeast of Seoul, in May 2021, while the rest in the western city of Seosan, about 100 km southwest of the capital, in March this year.

Based on earlier DNA analysis by the ministry’s team, the remains discovered at Arrowhead Ridge have been determined as that of someone of European descent.

“On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, we will further strengthen mutual exchange and cooperation, and continue efforts to find those who are still missing until the end,” Lee Keun-won, head of the ministry’s team, was quoted as saying.

The two sides have conducted such joint analysis work two to four times every year since the founding of the ministry’s team in 2007.

This file photo, taken Feb. 22, 2023, shows a repatriation ceremony of remains of a U.S. soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War taking place outside the offices of the defense ministry's war remains excavation team in southern Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

This file photo, taken Feb. 22, 2023, shows a repatriation ceremony of remains of a U.S. soldier killed during the 1950-53 Korean War taking place outside the offices of the defense ministry’s war remains excavation team in southern Seoul. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

yunhwanchae@yna.co.kr
(END)


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Article: https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230515002200325?section=national/defense

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Yoon says S. Korea will play role as ‘compass for freedom’ with U.S.

By Lee Haye-ah

WASHINGTON, April 27 (Yonhap) — South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Thursday to work together with the United States to promote freedom around the world, saying the country will play a role as a “compass for freedom.”

Yoon made the pledge during an address to a joint meeting of the U.S. Congress, as he recalled the birth of the bilateral alliance 70 years ago at the end of the Korean War and looked forward to a new chapter of closer cooperation.

“Our alliance was forged 70 years ago to defend Korea’s freedom,” he said in English. “The alliance has now become a global alliance that safeguards freedom and peace around the world.”

Yoon said South Korea will fulfill its responsibilities and play a part that matches its economic capacity.

“Together with the U.S., Korea will play the role as a ‘compass for freedom,'” he said. “It will safeguard and broaden the freedom of citizens of the world.”

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (front) addresses a joint session of U.S. Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2023. (Yonhap)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (front) addresses a joint session of U.S. Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., on April 27, 2023. (Yonhap)

Yoon spoke on the fourth day of his six-day state visit to the U.S., which came as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of their alliance. On Wednesday, Yoon held a summit with U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House and attended a state dinner.

During his speech, Yoon put a spotlight on the Americans who helped defend South Korea in the Korean War, including the late Colonel William Weber, who lost his right arm and leg in the Battle for Hill 324 in Wonju.

Yoon asked a granddaughter of Weber to stand up from the audience and thanked her on behalf of the Korean people.

“Korea will never forget the great American heroes who fought with us to defend freedom,” he said.

Paying tribute to all the Korean War veterans and their families, he added: “You did not hesitate to send your sons and daughters, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters. You answered the call to defend the freedom of a country across the Pacific.”

Yoon recalled that there was no guarantee of success when the alliance started, but now it is stronger than ever, more prosperous together, and more connected like no other.

“Indeed, it has been the linchpin safeguarding our freedom, peace and prosperity,” he said.

Yoon also used the speech to highlight challenges to democracy, saying false propaganda and disinformation are distorting the truth and public opinion in many parts of the world.

“We must not be fooled by such deception and disguise,” he said. “We must work together and fight the forces of falsehood and deception that seek to destroy democracy and the rule of law.”

Claiming that freedom and democracy are once again under threat, Yoon denounced the war against Ukraine as a violation of international law.

“It is an attempt to unilaterally change the status quo with force,” he said. “Korea strongly condemns the unprovoked armed attack against Ukraine.”

On Ukraine, Yoon said South Korea will stand in solidarity with the free world, actively work to safeguard the freedom of the Ukrainian people and support the country’s reconstruction.

On North Korea, Yoon noted that he and Biden agreed Wednesday to strengthen the U.S. nuclear commitment to South Korea.

“Along with close Korea-U.S. coordination, we need to speed up Korea-U.S.-Japan trilateral security cooperation to counter increasing North Korean nuclear threats,” he said.

“My government will respond firmly to provocations,” he continued, describing the North’s nuclear program and missile provocations as a serious threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula and beyond.

“But at the same time, we will keep the door open for dialogue on North Korea’s denuclearization,” he said, urging North Korea to cease its provocations and take the right path.

Yoon also called attention to North Korea’s human rights abuses, referring to cases of people being shot and killed for violating COVID-19 prevention measures and some being publicly executed for watching and sharing South Korean shows.

“We must raise global awareness of the dire human rights situation in North Korea,” he said. “We must not shy away from our duty to promote freedom for North Koreans.”

Yoon was the seventh South Korean president to address a joint session of Congress and the first since President Park Geun-hye in 2013. Park also spoke in English at the time.

His speech was received with frequent applause and standing ovations. At times, he prompted laughter from the crowd

“Even if you didn’t know my name, you may know BTS and BLACKPINK,” Yoon said, referring to two popular K-pop bands. “BTS beat me to the White House, but I beat them to Capitol Hill.”

BTS visited the White House last May to meet with Biden and speak out against anti-Asian hate crimes.

Yoon says S.Korea will play role as ‘compass for freedom’ with U.S.

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South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol receives a standing ovation during an address to a joint session of U.S. Congress at the Capitol in Washington on April 27, 2023. (Yonhap)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol receives a standing ovation during an address to a joint session of U.S. Congress at the Capitol in Washington on April 27, 2023. (Yonhap)

hague@yna.co.kr
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