Korean President Cements Ties With U.S.

Rebuffs NK's Bid to Directly Talk With U.S.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's recent visit to the United States was meant to show off the strong-as-ever relations between the two traditional allies despite North Korea's increasing bids to talk directly with the United States while alienating its southern counterpart.
The two nations have been pressed to come closer as North Korea has been anxious to flex its muscles through a series of nuclear and missile tests alongside a threat it would go its own way to establish its status as a nuclear power nation.
The North's move had been aimed at enticing the United States to pay more attention to the impoverished communist nation in dire need of support from the global community to reinvigorate its moribund economy.
Further, the fragile North Korean leader Kim Jong-il had been eager to help his son Kim Jong-un to strengthen his grip on the Stalinist nation at this time as his heir apparent.
As if to demonstrate friendliness, Lee and U.S. President Barack Obama had an in-depth one-on-one discussion on core issues on June 16 (Washington, D.C. time), and expressed agreement with each other's thoughts at a joint press conference.
Throughout the meetings between Lee and Obama on Monday and Tuesday (June 15-16), the two leaders often backed each other's comments by saying, “I wholly agree,” Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Lee Dong-kwan said.
The joint press conference following the bilateral summit took place in the Rose Garden, which adjoins the Oval Office and the West Wing of the White House.
In their opening statements, the two presidents said they had concurred on many important regional and global issues, which included North Korea's latest nuclear provocations.
President Lee said to reporters that he and President Obama had talked not only about the security of the Korean Peninsula, but also about their mutual vision for the future. Korea and the United States have successfully maintained a security alliance ever since they joined forces during the 1950-53 Korean War, he added.
Lee also said the two sides confirmed their position that North Korea's nuclear provocation on the Korean Peninsula is not permissible under any circumstance, and that they will push ahead with UN Security Council resolution 1874 so that all countries will join the efforts to stop North Korea from further such moves.
President Lee went on to say that the two leaders had welcomed the latest working negotiation for the Korea-U.S. FTA and had promised to cooperate to advance the FTA negotiation process.
For his part, U.S. President Obama said that people of the Republic of Korea were dealing with the latest nuclear threat by North Korea remarkably well, setting an example for other nations. He said he would do his best to keep the Korea-U.S. security alliance as strong as ever.
President Obama further said North Korea has a chance ahead to embrace the coexistence and co-prosperity pursued by the international community, which is possible only through peaceful dialogue and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
Obama also said that the two leaders had promised to closely cooperate to prevent a recurrence of economic difficulties. The two leaders will also try hard to stop trade protectionism and to see sustainable economic development by offering more job opportunities to the people of both countries.
The two leaders promised in the statement to continue to cooperate on international issues, such as denuclearization, terrorism and peacemaking.
President Lee, in his recent state visit to Washington, D.C., visited Capitol Hill to meet with senators and House representatives on June 16 (local time). During the session, he exchanged opinions with lawmakers on issues of mutual concern, including the problems of the North Korean nuclear program and the ratification of the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement.
Lee first visited the U.S. House of Representatives and met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Minority Leader John Boehner and other officials, and expressed gratitude for the adoption of a resolution that supported inter-Korean relations and asked for the continued interest and cooperation of the U.S. Congress for the Korea-U.S. alliance.
Just ahead of President Lee's visit, the House of Representatives unanimously passed a five-point resolution that urged North Korea to stop hostile actions toward the South and abandon its nuclear programs, among other things.
Lee said that the U.S. Congress was always a trustworthy sponsor of the Korea-U.S. alliance and expressed thanks for lawmakers who supported the resolution. He especially lauded the long-standing alliance between Korea and the United States, and said that the two countries are cooperating well with regard to inter-Korean relations and North Korea's nuclear program. He went on to stress that he would use the momentum to realize a non-nuclear policy on the Korean Peninsula.
House Speaker Pelosi reportedly responded that while the Korea-U.S. alliance was always a matter of great importance, it had become even more so due to the North's recent nuclear test and missile launches.
Separately, Lee also met with House Democratic Leader Harry Reid, Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and others and called for their support for the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, which is yet to be ratified. nw

Korean President Lee Myung-bak shakes hands with U.S. President Barack Obama during a news conference to announce the outcome of their summit talks at the Oval Office of the White House in Washington D.C. on June 16.

(from top) Korean President Lee holds summit talks with U.S. President Obama. Korea and the United States announced the Joint Vision for the Alliance of the United States of America and ROK following summit talks,; President Lee meets with U.S. Senate leaders,; and Lee speaks during a meeting with U.S. House of Representatives leaders.

Photo by courtesy of the MCST