'US Will Not Act on NK Without Seoul's Consent'
2003-03-28
The U.S. will not take any steps on North Korea without full endorsement of the South Korean side, U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Thomas C. Hubbard said on Friday (March 28).
In a speech given to the civic group Citizens United for a Better Society in the morning, the top American envoy to South Korea emphasized that his government attaches "utmost importance" to consultations and coordination with South Korea as it tries to deal with the North Korean nuclear problem.
"It is simply inconceivable to me that the U.S. would take any steps vis-a-vis NK that do not have the understanding and full support of the Korean government," Hubbard answered after a participant asked what last resort Washington has in mind if the Pyongyang government doesn't heed to warnings from the international society.
South Korea has made clear its opposition to any solution to the nuclear crisis other than one that is peaceful and based on dialogue. While the U.S. has echoed this view, some Washington hardliners are known to be thinking otherwise.
A fearful Pyongyang, believing it may be Washington's next target after Baghdad, has been accusing the U.S. of warmongering because it is conducting military exercises with the South. On Wednesday, it suspended the regular military contacts with the U.S.-led United Nations Command as a protest.
Hubbard said the U.S. believes it can and should resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis peacefully through multilateral diplomacy, where the United Nations also has a role.
"We are not currently thinking of sanctions," he said, adding Washington believes the UN has a role in dealing with North Korea because many of the undertakings Pyongyang has abandoned have to do with UN bodies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Abiding by international (demands to give up nuclear weapons) will bring the security and economic assistance that they seek," the ambassador added.
Regarding South Korea-U.S. alliance set to undergo major changes through a series of meetings starting next month, Hubbard said the two sides agreed to a joint study into the issue in order to reflect the different needs of the times, but stressed the U.S.'s commitment to defend South Korea remains as strong as ever.
"There are things that will not change. Our military presence and our continued determination to defend the Republic of Korea will continue. And our combined deterrence will remain strong. If anything, our deterrence will become even will stronger."
"What we are studying jointly at our joint working group is what kind of US forces and what mix of US. Korean forces, and what mix of air, naval and ground forces are needed to best defend South Korea in this era when concepts of warfare and capabilities on both sides are changing very dramatically."
The U.S. ambassador, in the meantime, also said the U.S. military personnel find the expression "tripwire" being used to refer to its troops stationed near the Demilitarized Zone "insulting."
"This term tripwire assumes that the purpose of our forces is to be attacked," he said, adding the U.S. military personnel in Korea are here to do their job of responding to any attack alongside South Korean forces.
Source : www.korea.net
