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| ▲ Daniel Kritenbrink, ▲U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, speaks during an interview with Yonhap News Agency at the U.S. ambassador's residence in Seoul, in this file photo taken Nov. 12, 2021. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on Oct. 12, 2023, in this file photo released by Reuters. (Yonhap) |
Blinken-Seoul visit
Blinken to discuss N. Korean threats, stress 'unshakable' commitment to S. Korea: official
By Song Sang-ho
WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will discuss North Korea's "continued and growing" nuclear and missile threats during his visit to Seoul next week, a senior U.S. official said Thursday, warning that Washington will take "robust" steps to counter the threats.
Blinken plans to visit Seoul on Wednesday and Thursday next week amid security concerns over North Korea's apparent preparations for the launch of what it calls a military reconnaissance satellite and its burgeoning military cooperation with Russia.
Blinken is set to meet President Yoon Suk Yeol, Foreign Minister Park Jin and National Security Advisor Cho Tae-yong during the visit, which is part of his five-nation trip that includes stops in Israel, Jordan, Japan and India.
"It's only natural that the secretary and his Korean counterparts will also discuss the continued and growing threats posed by a range of North Korean actions, particularly its nuclear and ballistic missile programs," Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink told reporters in a telephonic conference.
"I'm confident the secretary will reiterate our ironclad commitment to the security of our Korean and our Japanese allies and our unshakeable commitment to working with our partners to counter this threat," he added.
Kritenbrink stressed that the U.S. will continue concerted efforts to tackle North Korean threats in tandem with its allies and partners.
"We will take robust steps in terms of our military preparedness and cooperation with Seoul and Tokyo and we will continue to strictly implement a range of U.N. Security Council (UNSC) resolutions ... again to counter the North Korean threat," he said.
Commenting on cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang, he warned that Washington will continue to take "a number of" steps to hold North Korea accountable for its actions, which he said "not only violate UNSC resolutions but also pose a threat to peace and stability."
Asked whether Blinken plans to make a request for Seoul to provide military or humanitarian assistance to Ukraine and Israel, the official said that the U.S. has been "incredibly gratified" by South Korea's provision of aid so far.
"We've been incredibly gratified by the range of steps that Seoul has taken and the really unprecedented assistance that Korea has provided to assist our friends in Ukraine and to counter this threat that Russia's invasion poses to the entire rules-based international order," he said.
"I'm confident that such pressing global matters will feature prominently on Secretary Blinken his agenda while he's in Seoul," he added.
In Japan, Blinken plans to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and his Japanese counterpart, Yoko Kamikawa, to discuss a range of issues, including trilateral cooperation with South Korea, the official said.
Kritenbrink pointed out that Blinken's trip to the region demonstrates America's "enduring" commitment to the Indo-Pacific amidst other global challenges.
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