President Park Geun-hye’s trip to the U.S. last week seems to have attained some of its goals, including awakening Americans and the international community to the urgent need to tackle North Korea and assuring them South Korea is not seeking close relations with China at the expense of its ties with the U.S.
North Korea always tops the agenda in summits between South Korean and U.S. leaders, and the Park-Obama meeting was no exception. It is noticeable, however, that they adopted the first-ever joint statement exclusively dealing with the North, more specifically its nuclear program.
A key part of the statement was that the two leaders agreed to address the North Korean nuclear problem with the “utmost urgency and determination.” They reaffirmed their commitment to a complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of North Korea, and also warned any further provocation would face tough punishment.
At the same time, Park and Obama made it clear that they were ready to resolve the North Korean issue through dialogue. Obama said in the post-summit news conference: “At the point where Pyongyang says, ‘We’re interested in seeing relief from sanctions and improved relations, and we are prepared to have a serious conversation about denuclearization,’ I think it’s fair to say we’ll be right there at the table.”
In order to lure North Korea back to the negotiating table, Park and Obama agreed on the need to work closely with China, a key ally of the North and a member of the six-party talks on the North’s nuclear program, which have been suspended since late 2008.
Regarding China, Park is seen to have succeeded in allaying U.S. misgivings about her recent overtures toward Beijing, including Seoul’s participation in the China-led Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and her own attendance in the military parade marking China’s World War II victory over Japan.
The itinerary for Park’s four-day trip was carefully choreographed to help dispel such misgivings and demonstrate South Korea’s unflagging alliance with the U.S. Most symbolic of them were meetings with American veterans of the Korean War and a visit to the Pentagon.
After the summit, Obama said he’s not concerned about South Korea strengthening relations with China. Although he did not fail to ask South Korea to speak out if China fails to abide by international norms and rules -- apparently referring to China’s cyber theft and Beijing’s territorial disputes in the South China Sea -- his “understanding” of South Korea’s cultivation of closer-than-ever relations with China could boost cooperation among the three countries in dealing with North Korea, especially the reopening of the six-party talks.
“We want South Korea to have a strong relationship with China, just as we want to have a strong relationship with China,” Obama said, adding, “We want to see China’s peaceful rise. We want them to be cooperating with us in putting pressure on the DPRK (North Korea).”
Obama said that his administration is prepared to engage North Korea as it has done with Iran and Cuba -- nations he said “with which the U.S. has had troubled histories.” Park and Obama need to take fast, effective follow-up measures in unison in order to make North Korea a second Iran or Cuba.
