Jang asks ambassador to keep close watch on Korean Peninsula security
Steel asks PPP to back bilateral initiatives to strengthen alliance
People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok said Tuesday that the Korea-US alliance, marking its 72nd anniversary this year, must be upgraded to keep pace with the times, adding that trust is the foundation of any alliance.
Jang made the remarks during a meeting with US Ambassador to South Korea Michelle Steel at the National Assembly that afternoon. He said that during a recent visit to the United States, many people in Washington policy circles expressed concern about the state of the alliance. "I still believe the Korea-US alliance remains solid, but I carry a great deal of worry and reflection about where it stands today and where it is headed," he said.
Jang said trust was the key to strengthening the alliance. "To build that trust firmly, we must above all share the same values and at the same time work to expand mutual interests," he said. "The two countries have continuously developed the alliance on the foundation of shared values — liberal democracy and a market economy."
He added that the United States had played a major role in South Korea's economic growth, and that South Korea was now expanding its own contributions to the US economy.
Jang also invoked American support during the Korean War. "When the United States came to the aid of a South Korea devastated by the Korean War, few probably believed it would rise to become the technology and cultural powerhouse it is today," he said. "Had people only weighed short-term gains, the support and investment in Korea might never have happened."
He also asked Steel to pay close attention to South Korea's security. "One of the great challenges facing the Korea-US alliance is the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea," he said, expressing concern that Pyongyang was steadily raising the level of its security threats.
"China, too, has not stopped its moves to destabilize the regional order and seek changes to the status quo," Jang said. "I believe the two countries must strengthen security cooperation to confront these threats." He urged the ambassador to keep a close watch on security issues on the Korean Peninsula.
Ambassador Steel said South Korea plays a central role on the world stage in advancing peace and prosperity, and asked Jang and the People Power Party to continue supporting and cooperating on bilateral initiatives aimed at strengthening the alliance and deepening the economic partnership between the two countries.
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