Nancy Pelosi pledges support to Seoul for denuclearisation of North Korea

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi reached South Korea on late Wednesday, August 3, for her two-day trip to Seoul. After concluding her high-profile visit to Taiwan, Pelosi arrived in South Korea where she is also expected to visit the country's border region. The US House Speaker has pledged to support Seoul's attempts to denuclearize Pyongyang and will visit the heavily guarded Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) where North and South Korean military are positioned face to face. She will be the highest-ranking American to visit the Joint Security Area since former President Donald Trump went there in 2019. 

Earlier on Thursday, Pelosi met South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo and reached an agreement to continue to make efforts for the denuclearisation of North Korea. This comes as both leaders voiced their concerns over the mounting threats by the North. Apart from meeting Jin-pyo, Pelosi also met other senior members of Parliament and held an hour-long meeting. Pelosi discussed the bilateral alliance and legislative initiatives to bolster ties between the two nations. Following the meeting, South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Jin-pyo stated that the two sides raised concerns over the rising threat from North Korea.

South Korea, US vow to continue efforts to denuclearise North Korea

"Based on a powerful and extended deterrence against North Korea that our public can recognise, we agree to support the two governments' efforts for denuclearization and peace through international cooperation and diplomatic dialogues," Jin-pyo said in a statement, Yonhap news agency reported. Further, both Speakers also discussed how the partnership between the US and South Korea has grown to include areas including defence, security, the economy, and technology. According to Jin-pyo, both sides also resolved to review a resolution honouring the alliance's 70th anniversary to better support these ties.

US, South Korea ties are 'extremely strong': Pelosi

Meanwhile, Pelosi underlined that the relationship between Seoul and Washington is "extremely strong" and that the two nations continuously "learn from each other". She also referred to security, economics, and governance as the "three pillars" of the congressional delegation's visit to Seoul. "This is special for us because the US-Republic of Korea relationship is of much importance - a relationship that began from urgency and security many years ago has become the warmest of friendships," she added as per Yonhap. 

Image: AP