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| ▲ Yeo Seung-bae (R), South Korea's Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, and Daniel Kritenbrink, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, hold a meeting at Yeo's office on Aug. 26, 2022, in this photo provided by the foreign ministry building. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) S Korea-US-talks
(LEAD) Top U.S. diplomat for East Asia policy holds talks with Seoul officials on trade, alliance
(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with more details from meetings; CHANGES photo)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, Aug. 26 (Yonhap) -- The top U.S. diplomat for East Asia policy held a series of talks with South Korean officials in Seoul on Friday on a wide range of topics, including North Korea policy, trade and the bilateral alliance.
Daniel Kritenbrink, the assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, met his South Korean counterpart, Yeo Seung-bae, and then paid courtesy calls on Foreign Minister Park Jin and Second Vice Foreign Minister Lee Do-hoon.
During the back-to-back talks, the two sides discussed South Korean businesses' concerns about the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, which gives tax incentives only for electric vehicles built in North America, and other pending issues.
"Yeo delivered (Seoul's) concerns over the Inflation Reduction Act, and the two sides agreed to closely consult over the issue via diplomatic channels," the ministry said in a press release.
In closed-door talks, Kritenbrink said Washington is well aware of Seoul's concerns over the act's potential impact on the automotive industry here and pledged to continue consultations between the two governments, an informed source said on condition of anonymity.
The two sides also agreed to enhance the allies' close coordination to stop North Korea's provocations and encourage its return to dialogue, according to the ministry.
The U.S. diplomat reaffirmed Washington's "strong support" for Seoul's "audacious" plan to help North Korea improve its economy in return for its steps towards denuclearization.
The U.S. diplomat's visit here came at a time when Seoul and Washington have been carrying out their largest annual military drills in years since Monday amid concerns that Pyongyang could react to them by engaging in provocative acts.
The U.S. official arrived in Seoul on Thursday on the second and last leg of his six-day regional trip that also took him to Mongolia. He is to leave Saturday morning.
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