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Updated May 22nd, 2021 at 09:22 IST

US & South Korea raise concerns over N Korea's denuclearization, call for reducing tension

Biden and South Korea agreed to boost cooperation with the United States over the development of a leading-edge 5G network.

Reported by: Srishti Jha
US
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The United States and South Korea expressed deep concerns about the issue of the denuclearization of North Korea and showed a willingness to reduce tensions via diplomatic measures, US President said during a joint press conference with his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in.

In his statement, Biden said, "My team consulted closely with President Moon's team throughout the process of our DPRK [North Korea's foreign policy] review, and we both are deeply concerned about the situation. Our two nations also share a willingness to engage diplomatically with the DPRK to take pragmatic steps that will reduce tensions, as we move toward our ultimate goal of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."

Moon Jae-in shared his counterpart concerns, adding that denuclearization is the most urgent task the two countries must undertake to ensure permanent peace in the Korean peninsula. The United States and South Korea have worked closely during Biden's administration review of the US policy toward North Korea, President Moon noted.

Biden mentioned he has appointed Ambassador Sung Kim, a career diplomat with deep policy expertise to serve the United States' next special representative for North Korea as diplomatic work begin to achieve full denuclearization.   

The dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, as well as the inter-Korean dialogue, have been stalled since the February 2019 summit in Hanoi, during which the United States demanded more decisive steps from North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, while Pyongyang accused the US of not responding to prior commitments. Further, denuclearization talks in Sweden in October 2019 failed to break the deadlock.

Moon and Biden expressed support for the inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation. Moreover, Biden and South Korea agreed to boost cooperation with the United States over the development of a leading-edge 5G network.

Moon Jae-in & Joe Biden's White House Meeting

The White House is signalling it is taking a longer view on one of the most difficult foreign policy challenges Biden faces. renewed diplomatic urgency by the U.S. on curbing North Korea’s nuclear program. This is the second in-person foreign leader session for President Biden owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. White House officials had informed North Korea would be a central focus of talks. Coordination on vaccine distribution, climate change and regional security concerns spurred by China are also high on the President’s list.

Biden skewed from the strategies of his two lauded predecessors, rejecting both Donald Trump’s intense personal effort to win over North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Barack Obama’s more permissive approach.

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Published May 22nd, 2021 at 09:22 IST

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