SEOUL– The top U.S. envoy in South Korea on Tuesday stressed the importance of broadening the two countries’ alliance to encompass “shared values” while voicing concerns over “unprecedented” threats from the “authoritarian” countries of North Korea, China and Russia.
Amb. Philip Goldberg made the remarks at a forum amid Pyongyang’s continued saber-rattling, Moscow’s much-criticized war in Ukraine and Beijing’s assertiveness under President Xi Jinping, who has secured an unprecedented third term in power.
“We face unprecedented threats and challenges in the world today, largely from authoritarian states — Russia, China and North Korea,” he said during the forum co-hosted by the Korea-U.S. Alliance Foundation and the Korea Defense Veterans Association.
“We’re redefining and reinforcing the future of our shared security with joint initiatives that are modern, forward-looking and inclusive,” he added.
The ambassador also pointed out South Korea’s role in promoting the allies’ shared values of democracy and freedom under their joint pursuit of a “global strategic partnership.”
“It’s important for future generations to understand our history, and to learn how to partner and how to expand beyond the military alliance to encompass our shared values,” he said.
He went on to say: “That’s what we’re doing more and more. For Korea, that will mean taking a place in the world that the U.S. is encouraging, that will be equal to its economic significance, its economic weight, and its ability to help us in our pursuit of democracy and freedom around the world.”
Goldberg called attention to the allies’ new efforts to broaden their ties beyond security matters, such as South Korean companies building semiconductor factories in the U.S. to secure global supply chains.
“Part of the reason that we have to secure those supply chains is to make sure that the semiconductors that are used for advanced applications, like artificial intelligence, and supercomputers are in the right hands, not the wrong hands,” he said, describing semiconductors as the “oil” of the 21st century.
In addition, the envoy said the allies can still do “much more” to address global challenges, like climate change and pandemics, while stressing that security remains central to the alliance.
“We will also face the challenges that we do every day from the North, and we will address those very important issues at the same time,” he said.
Also at the forum, U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Brad Sullivan commented on the scope of the evolving alliance’s role beyond the Korean Peninsula while pointing to threats from global “competitors and adversaries” seeking to “undo” the current international order “founded in cooperation.”
“Nations like Russia, China and the DPRK seek an international order based on coercion, intimidation, and threats,” he said, referring to the North’s official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. “To effectively confront these threats, we must collectively think, act and operate differently.”
The conference, which commemorates the alliance and features discussions on ways to strengthen ties between Seoul and Washington, was also attended by former USFK commanders Gen. Robert Abrams, Gen. Vincent Brooks and Gen. Curtis Scaparrotti.
Source: Yonhap News Agency