U.S. may make written guarantee of nuclear umbrella for S. Korea: official

SEOUL, May 31 (Yonhap) -- U.S. President Barack Obama may make a written pledge
during his upcoming summit with South Korean President Lee Myung-bak that the
U.S. will maintain its nuclear umbrella over its major Asian ally, a Seoul
official said Sunday.
The U.S. government has maintained a nuclear umbrella over South Korea since the
Korean War ended in 1953. But it would be the first time for the leaders of the
two countries to sign on the protection, a move that would follow North Korea's
second nuclear test conducted on May 25, the official at the presidential office
of Cheong Wa Dae said.
The Lee-Obama meeting is set for June 16 in Washington.
"During the summit meeting, the leaders will hold discussions on stipulating the
(U.S.) nuclear umbrella" over South Korea, the official said, requesting
anonymity.
The official said he did not know "whether the form of the document would be a
joint statement or a joint communique, but there would be a certain product."
South Korea and the U.S., along with other permanent members of the U.N. Security
Council and Japan, have been discussing ways to punish North Korea for its second
nuclear test.
In a phone conversation a day after the May 25 test, Lee and Obama agreed that
the test was a violation of international law, and their countries would work
closely together to seek a strong U.N. Security Council resolution to punish the
North.
Korea's Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan will travel to Washington this week to
discuss countermeasures against North Korea with his U.S. counterpart, Hillary
Clinton.
hkim@yna.co.kr
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