The top U.S. envoy in Seoul said Friday that there is “tremendous bipartisan support” for the South Korea-U.S. alliance, regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election slated for November.
Ambassador Philip Goldberg made the remarks during a forum hosted by the foreign ministry and Rep. Kim Gunn of the ruling People Power Party at the National Assembly.
Emphasizing that he does not have a “personal opinion,” the ambassador said such bipartisan support is deeply rooted in both the Republican Party and the Democratic Party.
“There is tremendous bipartisan support in the United States for the alliance and for the partnership between the ROK and the U.S.,” he said, referring to South Korea’s full name, the Republic of Korea.
The remarks came in response to questions about the impact on the alliance of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s potential reelection.
Goldberg also raised concerns arising from the burgeoning military ties between North Korea and Russia, following Russian President Vladimir 한국을 Putin’s first trip to Pyongyang in 24 years for summit talks with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-un last month.
“I’d like to discuss additional problems specifically about the increasing cooperation between the DPRK and Russia and how Korea and the U.S. can respond to it together with our international partners,” he said, referring to North Korea by its official name.
The U.S. ambassador also emphasized the importance of joint efforts to resolve North Korea’s nuclear issue and called for China’s role in the process.
“The United States and the Republic of Korea, along with our like-minded partners, must continue to enforce sanctions compliance, seek dialogue where possible, and engage China to become a part of the solution,” he said, referring to South Korea by its official name.
Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul, meanwhile, stressed the importance of making efforts to improve North Korea’s human rights situation.
“No matter how much North Korea denies it, the fact that the North and South are one people can never change,” Cho said in a written address.