ID :
85643
Thu, 10/22/2009 - 12:04
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/85643
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2nd LD) S. Korea, U.S. looking at 'all possible scenarios' in N. Korea
2nd LD) S. Korea, U.S. looking at 'all possible scenarios' in N. Korea
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout with joint conference)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States said Thursday they
are looking at "all possible scenarios" that may arise in North Korea which
continues to increase its nuclear and missile capabilities while engineering an
apparent power succession.
"Details are being looked at very closely," South Korean Defense Minister Kim
Tae-young told reporters after the annual Security Consultative Meeting with his
U.S. counterpart, Robert Gates.
"The ROK and the U.S. will do all they can to make sure there are no negative
effects as a result of such events to the peace on the Korean peninsula," he
said. The ROK is the abbreviation of the Republic of Korea, South Korea's
official name.
"In order to do that, we are currently looking into all possible scenarios and
developing plans and also to strengthen our cooperation," Kim said. "I can say
our interest in this matter is very serious."
The U.S. has 28,500 troops stationed here as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War,
which ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
Gates, who was on a two-day trip to South Korea, said the allies have reaffirmed
their goal of "achieving the complete and verifiable denuclearization of North
Korea."
"North Korea's emerging nuclear weapons programs have a destablizing effect both
regionally and internationally," he said. "We will stand together."
Gates also said he has made "no specific request during my visit here in terms of
Afghanistan."
"That decision is entirely up to the government of the Republic of Korea," he
said at the joint press conference, while citing "a range of needs from helping
to pay for the expansion and sustainment of Afghan troops" to economic
reconstruction in the country.
The remarks came after the U.S. delegation declared its country will provide
conventional forces and missile defense on top of its nuclear umbrella to deter
North Korea from aggression.
The joint communique between the sides marks the first time that the U.S. has
expanded on the concept of "extended deterrence" after North Korea conducted its
second nuclear test in May.
"Secretary Gates reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to provide extended deterrence
for the ROK, using the full range of military capabilities, to include the U.S.
nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile capabilities," the statement
said.
"I want to reaffirm the unwavering commitment of the US to the alliance and to
the defense of the Republic of Korea," Gates said during an expanded meeting of
South Korean and U.S. defense officials.
"Key to that deterrence capability is our commitment to an enduring US force
presence on the Korean peninsula as part of the combined defense posture," he
said.
The SCM, the 41st of its kind and held alternately in Seoul and Washington, came
as North Korea appeared willing to engage in dialogue with the broader world even
as it showed no sign of halting its nuclear and missile development.
The country, which is under tough U.N. sanctions for the activities, recently
resumed the testing of its short-range missiles for the first time in more than
three months, while warning of a naval clash off the west coast of the divided
Korean Peninsula.
"On the surface, there are signs of some change from North Korea, including its
recent willingness to talk. In reality, the unstable situation such as its
nuclear program and military-first policy continues unchanged," Kim told Gates
during the meeting.
The communique reaffirmed that the allies will not accept North Korea coming to
the bargaining table while being recognized as a country armed with nuclear arms.
"The Minister and the Secretary reiterated that the ROK and the U.S. will not
accept North Korea as a nuclear weapon state," it said.
The communique coincides with comments by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, who warned earlier that North Koreans "should have no illusion that the
United States will ever have normal, sanctions-free relations with a
nuclear-armed North Korea."
"Current sanctions will not be relaxed until Pyongyang takes verifiable,
irreversible steps toward complete denuclearization," she said at a forum in
Washington.
The annual security meeting in Seoul came ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's
trip to South Korea for a summit in mid-November as part of his four-nation Asian
travel.
South Korean media have speculated for weeks that the visit by Gates is aimed at
paving the ground for the U.S. to ask South Korea to increase its military
contributions to fighting insurgents in Afghanistan, possibly including the
deployment of combat troops.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES throughout with joint conference)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Oct. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States said Thursday they
are looking at "all possible scenarios" that may arise in North Korea which
continues to increase its nuclear and missile capabilities while engineering an
apparent power succession.
"Details are being looked at very closely," South Korean Defense Minister Kim
Tae-young told reporters after the annual Security Consultative Meeting with his
U.S. counterpart, Robert Gates.
"The ROK and the U.S. will do all they can to make sure there are no negative
effects as a result of such events to the peace on the Korean peninsula," he
said. The ROK is the abbreviation of the Republic of Korea, South Korea's
official name.
"In order to do that, we are currently looking into all possible scenarios and
developing plans and also to strengthen our cooperation," Kim said. "I can say
our interest in this matter is very serious."
The U.S. has 28,500 troops stationed here as a legacy of the 1950-53 Korean War,
which ended in a truce rather than a peace treaty.
Gates, who was on a two-day trip to South Korea, said the allies have reaffirmed
their goal of "achieving the complete and verifiable denuclearization of North
Korea."
"North Korea's emerging nuclear weapons programs have a destablizing effect both
regionally and internationally," he said. "We will stand together."
Gates also said he has made "no specific request during my visit here in terms of
Afghanistan."
"That decision is entirely up to the government of the Republic of Korea," he
said at the joint press conference, while citing "a range of needs from helping
to pay for the expansion and sustainment of Afghan troops" to economic
reconstruction in the country.
The remarks came after the U.S. delegation declared its country will provide
conventional forces and missile defense on top of its nuclear umbrella to deter
North Korea from aggression.
The joint communique between the sides marks the first time that the U.S. has
expanded on the concept of "extended deterrence" after North Korea conducted its
second nuclear test in May.
"Secretary Gates reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to provide extended deterrence
for the ROK, using the full range of military capabilities, to include the U.S.
nuclear umbrella, conventional strike, and missile capabilities," the statement
said.
"I want to reaffirm the unwavering commitment of the US to the alliance and to
the defense of the Republic of Korea," Gates said during an expanded meeting of
South Korean and U.S. defense officials.
"Key to that deterrence capability is our commitment to an enduring US force
presence on the Korean peninsula as part of the combined defense posture," he
said.
The SCM, the 41st of its kind and held alternately in Seoul and Washington, came
as North Korea appeared willing to engage in dialogue with the broader world even
as it showed no sign of halting its nuclear and missile development.
The country, which is under tough U.N. sanctions for the activities, recently
resumed the testing of its short-range missiles for the first time in more than
three months, while warning of a naval clash off the west coast of the divided
Korean Peninsula.
"On the surface, there are signs of some change from North Korea, including its
recent willingness to talk. In reality, the unstable situation such as its
nuclear program and military-first policy continues unchanged," Kim told Gates
during the meeting.
The communique reaffirmed that the allies will not accept North Korea coming to
the bargaining table while being recognized as a country armed with nuclear arms.
"The Minister and the Secretary reiterated that the ROK and the U.S. will not
accept North Korea as a nuclear weapon state," it said.
The communique coincides with comments by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton, who warned earlier that North Koreans "should have no illusion that the
United States will ever have normal, sanctions-free relations with a
nuclear-armed North Korea."
"Current sanctions will not be relaxed until Pyongyang takes verifiable,
irreversible steps toward complete denuclearization," she said at a forum in
Washington.
The annual security meeting in Seoul came ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama's
trip to South Korea for a summit in mid-November as part of his four-nation Asian
travel.
South Korean media have speculated for weeks that the visit by Gates is aimed at
paving the ground for the U.S. to ask South Korea to increase its military
contributions to fighting insurgents in Afghanistan, possibly including the
deployment of combat troops.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)
