SECRETARY KERRY'S REMARKS WITH KOREA FOREIGN MINISTER BYUNG-SE

FROM:  U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT 

Remarks With Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se After Their Meeting

Remarks

John Kerry

Secretary of State

Treaty Room

Washington, DC

October 24, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Well, good morning. I want to start by welcoming my friend and my colleague, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, back to Washington, who is here along with South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo. We had a very productive what we call 2+2 meeting this morning – it is the third such dialogue that we have conducted – during which Secretary Hagel and I restated the degree to which we are deeply committed to building on today’s discussions and reinforcing the very close partnership that we have with the Republic of Korea.

It is safe to say – and everybody reiterated this today – that the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance is stronger than ever. And thanks to the agreement that Defense Minister Han and Secretary Hagel signed yesterday, it’s about to become even stronger. This new agreement is going to serve as a blueprint for how and when South Korea will assume wartime operational control of the combined forces. And the goal of the agreement is to ensure that as South Korea continues to build up its own defense capabilities, our combined forces will be ready and able to provide the best possible defenses for the Korean people.

Our shared security is at the heart of the U.S.-ROK alliance. But ultimately, I want to make it clear that our alliance is about much more than that. It is the linchpin of security, stability, and prosperity in Northeast Asia and increasingly beyond there. Today, for instance, we discussed a number of important issues where our partnership is not only valuable, but it’s really essential.

Obviously, at the top of the list is the subject of North Korea. Secretary Hagel and I reiterated that the United States remains committed to a peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through authentic and credible negotiations. We remain open to dialogue with North Korea, but there is no value in talks just for the sake of talks. North Korea must demonstrate that it is serious about denuclearization, and we need to be certain that it is prepared to live up to its international obligations and abide by international norms of behavior. In the meantime, we will remain vigilant against the clear threat that North Korea poses.

We also spent time today discussing our shared efforts on a number of other issues. We all understand that infectious disease in Africa, extremism in the Middle East, and territorial aggression in Eastern Europe pose threats that extend far beyond those regions. And both South Korea and the United States believe that our alliance will not only deepen our – not only deepen as we continue to step up our efforts to address those threats, and we will do so because we share a sense of responsibility about international leadership and the importance of these challenges to the norms of international behavior.

We were very grateful to hear from both Foreign Minister Yun and from Defense Minister Han that South Korea intends to continue cooperating closely with us in regard to these international efforts, and in fact wants to step up its efforts in a number of regards.

For example, we are very pleased that South Korea has announced that it will send additional healthcare experts to assist the international response in West Africa on top of the experts and supplies that it has already sent. And last month, as part of the global response to ISIL, South Korea contributed another $4 million in humanitarian assistance to Iraq, bringing its total contributions today to more than 5.2 million.

The Republic of Korea has emerged as a key global player dedicated, as the United States is, to universal values like human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. And as we discussed today, I pointed out it was only a few years ago that the Republic of South Korea was a recipient of aid; but because of its own ingenuity and its own commitment to growth and development and stability and democracy, now the Republic of Korea is itself a donor country assuming increasing responsibilities willfully and effectively on a global basis. And we welcome that and we’re grateful for it.

I mentioned that our alliance has, in fact, never been stronger. But given the staggering range of challenges that we face today, neither has it been more important. And with the help of our new ambassador to South Korea, Mark Lippert, who I will have the privilege of swearing in later today, we look forward to continuing our work with our South Korean allies and with our friends for many years to come.

Minister Yun, I’m delighted to turn the floor to you.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Thank you, Mr. Secretary. (Via interpreter) First, I’d like to thank Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel for hosting the 2+2 meeting in Washington today. This year, the 2+2 meetings have been held for the third time from 2010 to 2012, and this is the first one since the Park Geun-hye administration. In 2010, we had focused on our response to North Korean aggressions. Today, we were able to focus on our alliance beyond the Korean Peninsula, on global issues as well. This demonstrates that the Korea-U.S. alliance has gone beyond serving as a linchpin for peace and stability on – in Asia-Pacific region. It is now a global partnership.

Through two summit meetings since the Park Geun-hye administration, we have been able to establish the fact that our relationship is the best ever since 1953. It is the strongest alliance in the world as well. I believe that this is based on mutual trust as well as continuous development at an adaptation of our relationship. Today, we were able to discuss various issues ranging from our alliance management as well as North Korean nuclear issues and other global issues as well.

In today’s meeting, we were able to express elation about the progress we’ve made within the last one and a half years, and we were able to reach a successful agreement on the defense cost-sharing special session last year. And yesterday, we were able to reach agreements on conditions-based OPCON transfer as well. Currently, Korea-U.S. nuclear agreement is likely to come to a successful conclusion. If that happens, we will have had the most successful agreements on most of our major issues.

On the other hand, there are other areas on which we need to see cooperation – cyber security as well as space projects – and I think our efforts are moving beyond these forces and into the new horizon. Recently, North Korean nuclear missile threats as well as other challenges have reinforced the fact that the combined defense readiness between Korea and U.S. will be the most effective in deterring aggression from North Korea and promoting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. And the unpredictability and the fluidity of the situation in Korea help us agree that we need a comprehensive, multidimensional response.

And I believe that denuclearization, human rights in North Korea, as well as a conducive environment for unification is the holistic approach that we also need to focus on. And to that end, we have to create more creative ideas on how to bring this about. We need to be able to ensure a safe life to North Koreans and bring about real human rights compliance in the country. By doing that, we’ll be able to create an environment conducive to unification, and I believe denuclearization will act as the engine in bringing this about.

Historical, territorial, and maritime issues have threatened Northeast Asia’s security environment. Since the Cold War has ended, this has been the most tense situation in the Northeast Asian region. Based on the Korea-U.S. alliance, we’ll be able to create an environment that will be able to create real solutions to these issues. In particular, the rebalancing of the Asia-Pacific region is going to contribute to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.

Finally, our alliance has moved beyond just the Korean Peninsula. We are very happy to announce that our alliance is contributing to resolving global issues. We are happy to report that we are collaborating on stopping the spread of the Ebola virus as well as other global issues. We will be sending more aid toward that area and considering this more than a health issue, but a serious issue to security in the world.

On another front, we are fighting ISIL and foreign terrorist fighters, and to that end we agree to the UN resolution and look forward to a thorough implementation. And since the joint statement on the 60th anniversary of the alliance, through these meetings we were able to add substance and detail to the vision and roadmap of the Korea-U.S. relationship. And I hope that, based on mutual trust, we’ll be able to improve on the already good relationship between the two.

Minister Han and I look forward to be able to reciprocate the warm hospitality to Secretary Kerry and Secretary Hagel on their next visit to Korea. Thank you.

MODERATOR: From Abigail Williams with NBC News.

QUESTION: First, Foreign Minister Yun, is it true that North Korea has closed its border citing Ebola fears?

And to Secretary Kerry, if true, how will this and the recent release of American Jeffrey Fowle impact negotiations over the release of the other two detained Americans? What does this – and what does this signal about internal politics in North Korea given Kim Jong-un’s 40-day absence?

Also, are you in a position to confirm reports --

SECRETARY KERRY: I’m sorry.

QUESTION: Sorry, one more. Are you --

SECRETARY KERRY: I hate to do this to you, but can you repeat the first part of your question? Because it got swallowed up. I couldn’t hear it.

QUESTION: Sure.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: From the beginning, yes.

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah. From the beginning.

QUESTION: Okay. If true that North Korea has closed its borders citing Ebola fears, how will this and the recent release of American Jeffrey Fowle impact negotiations over the release of the other two detained Americans, and what does this signal about internal politics given Kim Jong-un’s 40-day absence?

Also, are you in a position to confirm reports that IS militants have used chlorine gas on Iraqi troops, and how will this change U.S. strategy?

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: (Via interpreter) In recent months, North Korea has shown very unique behaviors. On the one hand, it is using continuous aggression, but on the other hand, they’re looking for dialogue. In the past few weeks, North Korea has launched aggressions on the DMZ as well as on maritime fronts, and they have fired at some of the flyers that were sprinkled in balloons. Just one month ago during the Asian games, high-level officials, however, visited Korea, and they proposed a high-level talk. So what they speak and what they do seem to be inconsistent. But for the second high-level meetings that we proposed, if North Korea accepts and if we are able to have the talks, then I believe we can find a path to improvement of relationship for peace on the Korean Peninsula as well as an environment conducive to unification. We are making various efforts to try and provide that kind of an environment.

SECRETARY KERRY: I can’t tell you how their decision will or won’t affect anything with respect to the other Americans who are being held. They have made some statements about their expectations of what the United States should do with respect to that. We’ve made it clear that no apology or other statement is in the offing. They need to release these people because they’re being held inappropriately. And our hope is that they will recognize the goodwill that could be built and the gesture that it would offer to the world of their willingness to try to open up a different diplomatic track. So our hope is for the humanitarian reason alone that they will behave differently and see fit to release these people. We’re grateful that Jeff Fowle was released, back in Ohio now. We’re delighted with that. But we are still deeply concerned about the other two Americans who are being held.

With respect to the chlorine, you asked me am I in a position to confirm it, and the answer is no. I am not in a position to confirm it, but I can tell you that we take these allegations very, very seriously, in particular, the most recent allegations about the use of chlorine as a chemical weapon. Chlorine by itself is not on the chemical weapons list, therefore it was not among those things removed under the agreement we reached with the Russians and the Syrians’ regime.

But when mixed in certain ways and used in certain ways, it can become a chemical weapon that is prohibited under the chemical weapons agreement. And therefore these allegations are extremely serious and we are seeking additional information in order to be able to determine whether or not we can confirm it. The use of any chemical weapon is an abhorrent act. It’s against international law, and these recent allegations underscore the importance of the work that we are currently engaged in. It will not change our strategy. It obviously can affect tactical decisions within that strategy, but our fundamental strategy remains absolutely clear and we are step by step bringing the coalition further and further down the road to being able to shore up the Iraqi army itself and to take measures against ISIL.

We’ve said in the beginning this will take time. And it will evolve, as it is, day by day as General Allen and our teams are working to come together; important meetings have been held during the course of this past week; and I expect to see further progress over the course of the next weeks.

MS. PSAKI: The final question will be from Shim of Yonhap News.

QUESTION: Okay, my name is In Sung Shim from the Yonhap News Agency in Korea. I have a question to you, the first to --

(Via interpreter) North-South Korea relations are improving and U.S. alliances stronger. I believe the Six-Party Talks is most important in continuing this trend, so I would like to ask for your opinion on that and --

The U.S. prepared to reduce its military presence in Asia if North Korea rejoining – if rejoin nuclear negotiation. Can you be more specific what it means – (inaudible) --

And one more last question. Can --

SECRETARY KERRY: What was the second part?

QUESTION: Second, do you have any plan to talk or negotiate with North Korea about that?

PARTICIPANT: (Inaudible.)

QUESTION: Yeah. Nuclear negotiation. And then one more last question is: Can you visit North Korea and to meet North Korea leader Kim Jong-un, if they release two – I mean two – the other detainee – American detainee?

SECRETARY KERRY: Can we what?

QUESTION: Can you go – I mean, can you visit --

SECRETARY KERRY: Oh, can I visit? (Laughter.)

QUESTION: Yes. Can you visit North Korea and to meet North Korea leader Kim Jong-un if they release the other two American detainee? Okay, thanks.

SECRETARY KERRY: Do you know something about an invitation that I – (laughter) --

Go ahead.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Should I first?

SECRETARY KERRY: Yeah.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Okay.

(Via interpreter) On the prospects of the Six-Party Talks, the North Korean nuclear development, as well as its efforts toward economic development, these have to be given up. As stated in our joint statement, we need to have a clear stance on their nuclear policy, North Korea’s denuclearization, and a halt to the sophistication of its nuclear weapons. All of these have to be real. It has to lead to real solutions. To that end, between Korea and U.S. and between Korea, U.S., and China, we have had many talks with the governments. We have had many talks. And Secretary Kerry has also recently reiterated that in order to advance these – a resolution to these issues, we need to be able to generate more creative ideas. So we will have more consultations on that.

SECRETARY KERRY: So let me make it absolutely clear that the mere entering into talks is not an invitation to take any actions regarding troops or anything else at this point. It would be way too premature to have any thought or even discussion about such a thing. The only purpose of entering the talks is to come to an understanding regarding, first, the denuclearization, and then following the denuclearization, obviously, whatever relationship might be appropriate. But it is entirely premature to be talking about any troop reductions or anything else at this point in time, as it is also premature to have any thoughts about visits at this point in time.

The first thing you have to do is come to a competent, real, authentic set of talks about denuclearization, and that is the prerequisite to any other possibilities thereafter.

MS. PSAKI: Thank you, everyone.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you all very much, appreciate it.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you. Thank you, sir.

REMARKS BY SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND KOREA FOREIGN MINISTER YUN BYUNG-SE AFTER MEETING

FROM:  STATE DEPARTMENT 
Remarks With Republic of Korea Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se After Their Meeting
Remarks
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
January 7, 2014

SECRETARY KERRY: Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for waiting a moment. I apologize for being a little bit late.

This is a homecoming of some kind for Foreign Minister Yun, who completed a degree at SAIS at John Hopkins, so we’re delighted to welcome him back to Washington to his old stomping ground. And it’s a privilege to have him here in a city that he knows very, very well, and to return the favor of his very generous welcome to me when I visited Seoul last spring.

Minister Yun is the first foreign minister that I’ve had the privilege of welcoming here to Washington and the State Department in 2014, and that is clearly from our point of view an indication of the strength of the relationship and the high regard that we hold for our relationship with the Republic of Korea.

As President Obama has said, South Korea is one of our closest allies and greatest friends. Last year, we celebrated a remarkable 60th anniversary of our alliance. And just a few hundred feet from here at the Truman Building is the Korean War Veterans Memorial, where Foreign Minister Yun laid a wreath on Sunday to pay his respects and to honor those who gave their lives from both of our countries in an effort to stand for freedom and democracy. It is a fitting reminder – the memorial and the visit of the foreign minister – of our friendship that was forged through shared sacrifice.

I believe the greatest memorial, though, to the thousands of Koreans and Americans who served and sacrificed together is the deepening solidarity, the deepening strength between our nations, through six decades of partnership and shared prosperity. Our relationship has matured from one that was focused primarily on security to one that is now defined by a very broad and comprehensive partnership. Last year, we participated together in a series of high-level summits and meetings, beginning with President Park’s visit to Washington last spring and continuing through Vice President’s successful visit – Vice President Biden’s successful visit to Seoul last month.

So with this visit we build upon that trust and we build upon the legacy that we celebrated last year, and that is the closeness of our relationship founded in shared values of democracy, human rights, rule of law, and all of which are strengthened through people-to-people ties. Our comprehensive political partnership with the Republic of Korea is a significant example of our overall commitment, the commitment of the United States, to engagement in the Asia Pacific. Indeed, our alliance is the linchpin of security and stability in Northeast Asia.

The United States and the Republic of Korea stand very firmly united, without an inch of daylight between us, not a sliver of daylight, on the subject of opposition to North Korea’s destabilizing nuclear and ballistic missile programs and proliferation activities. And the international community stands with us.

The United States supports President Park’s firm, principled approach to North Korea. I want to confirm that Foreign Minister Yun and I spent the lion’s share of our time – though we touched on a lot of topics, we were deeply focused on the challenge of North Korea, particularly with the events that have taken place in recent weeks in North Korea.

Together, we call upon Pyongyang to start down the path of fulfilling its international obligation and commitments. And most importantly, we call on the Republic – on North Korea to denuclearize. We will not accept North Korea as a nuclear state nor as a nuclear-armed state, and nor will the international community abide by that.

I assured Foreign Minister Yun that we remain fully committed to the defense of the Republic of Korea, including through extended deterrents and putting the full range of U.S. military capabilities in place. We will continue to modernize our capabilities so that we are prepared to face any threat.

We are also working hard to reach agreement on burden sharing and the transfer of wartime operational control so that we can continue the great advances that we have achieved to date.

Today, the people of the United States really do take enormous pride in South Korea’s incredible rise. It’s an example of how we can move from aid to trade. Not so many years ago, the United States of America was giving aid to South Korea for development. Today, South Korea is giving aid to other countries and taking its place among the community of nations in exercising global responsibilities. It’s an example of what we can achieve when the United States does help another nation to define its future and when we create jobs and opportunity here at home, even as we do that.

Our trade relationship with the Republic of Korea is also an example of President Obama’s strategic rebalance in Asia and the benefits of the President’s determination to promote export-led growth. Because of the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which will be two years old in a few months, our trade has grown to $130 billion a year. That is an enormous sum. And it is important that we continue to work together so that all of the obligations of our treaty are met.

We also welcome South Korean’s interest in the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership, which can be the foundation for high-standard trade and shared prosperity throughout the Pacific, and it would create a trading agreement that would include 40 percent of global GDP. That will have a profound impact on the trading practices of the rest of the globe.

Today, the Republic of Korea is not only one of the most dynamic economies in the world; it is also a leading contributor of humanitarian assistance. That commitment was clear in the Republic of Korea’s contributions in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, where our two nations stand shoulder-to-shoulder, providing urgent relief. And we’re very proud of the efforts that we made together.

I just recently visited the Philippines. I went to Tacloban. I saw exactly, personally how unbelievably destructive that typhoon was. But most importantly, I saw the remarkable efforts of nations joined together in order to help another nation in a time of distress. And no two nations worked more closely together in that effort than we have.

Of course, the Republic of Korea and the United States have also stood side-by-side in Iraq, in Afghanistan. And there is no greater sign of the United States commitment to regional security than the 28,500 U.S. soldiers who are stationed in South Korea.

So the relationship between our two nations has always shown its ability to be able to adapt to face new challenges. And it is clear that the foundations of this relationship are built to endure. Our commitment to one another remains rock solid.

And so I want to thank Foreign Minister Yun for his friendship, for his continued efforts on behalf of both of our peoples, as together we work to make the world more secure and to deal with very complicated and difficult security challenges and humanitarian challenges across the globe. We hope that this year will mark a year of greater prosperity and opportunity and stability and peacefulness for both of our nations and for all of our neighbors. And this marks the first year in the next 60 years of our great alliance. Thank you for being here with us. Appreciate it.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Thank you, Secretary Kerry, for your kind words with regards to me. I have already expressed the meetings with Secretary Kerry so productive and enjoyable without fail. Nevertheless, I believe that we have outdone ourselves today, as our meeting has proved to be all the more timely and significant in a number of ways.

As you recall, President Park and President Obama held a successful summit in May last year. Secretary Kerry and I also enjoyed plentiful discussions throughout the year, sometimes face-to-face, and sometimes on the phone. As a result, our two countries have been able to make notable achievements in a wide range of areas, encompassing bilateral, regional, and global issues. As we embark on a new year’s journey, it has to be said that the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia warrant our special attention and close coordination.

First of all, Secretary Kerry and I reviewed the serious recent developments in North Korea and their potential implications on the Korean Peninsula and beyond. We agreed to enhance policy coordination to tackle North Korean issues, which include maintaining stability on the Korean Peninsula and seeking progress in the resolution of the North Korea nuclear problem. In this light, we decided to intensify our consultations to assess the North Korean situation and explore our policy options. These efforts will ensure that our two countries remain very much on the same page in dealing with uncertain North Korean situation. In the event of any North Korean provocation, the – South Korea and the United States will firmly respond based on our robust combined defense posture. In addition to our actions, we’ll ensure that the UN Security Council will take prompt measures which it deems necessary.

We share the view that it is important to keep China and other related parties closely engaged to achieve substantial progress in the denuclearization of North Korea. In this regard, we agreed to place this issue at the top of our agenda so that we can better cope with the increasing volatility of the nuclear issue arising from the evolving political situation in North Korea.

Going beyond the nuclear issues, we agreed to strengthen our strategic cooperation on building sustainable peace that will pave the way for the unification of the Korean Peninsula. We also redouble our efforts together with the international community, including the United States, to induce North Korea to embrace the path of peace and cooperation through the trust-building process on the Korean Peninsula.

Secretary Kerry and I also recognized the growing uncertainty pervading Northeast Asia in recent times. In particular, I pointed out that historical issues stand in the way of reconciliation and cooperation in this region, and I emphasized the need for sincere actions. The Secretary and I agreed to strengthen our efforts to alleviate tension and promote peace and cooperation in Northeast Asia.

On the U.S. policy of rebalancing to Asia, I welcome this reaffirmation as a positive contribution to the stability and prosperity in the region. In this regard, we underscored that R.O.K.-U.S. alliance will continue to serve as a linchpin of regional peace and stability. Secretary Kerry and I share the view that the R.O.K.-U.S. alliance could not be in a better shape. Building on the achievements we made over the last year, we’ll explore concrete ways to further upgrade our cooperation based on the shared vision of the R.O.K.-U.S. alliance.

We are pleased to note that the consultations regarding the review of transition of wartime operational control are on track. The Secretary and I also agreed to ensure that ongoing negotiations concerning Special Measures Agreement and civil nuclear agreement result in win-win solutions befitting the spirit of our alliance and mutual trust.

We noted that our bilateral trade has registered sharp growth since the R.O.K.-U.S. FTA entered into force two years ago amid global economic downturn and reaffirmed our commitment to further deepen our economic cooperation. Furthermore, we recognized that South Korea’s participation in the TPP will contribute to the economic integration of the Asia Pacific region and agree to expedite bilateral consultations on South Korea’s participation in the TPP negotiation.

Today, I was very pleased to renew my personal friendship with Secretary Kerry. We continue to work together as we embark on the journey into the next 60 years of R.O.K.-U.S. comprehensive strategic alliance. Thank you very much.

SECRETARY KERRY: Byung-se, thank you very much, appreciate it.

FOREIGN MINISTER YUN: Thank you, John.

SECRETARY KERRY: As I was listening to Byung-se talk a moment ago, we were celebrating 60 years of an alliance, and I suddenly thought, 45 years ago, as I heard him refer to R.O.K.'s, I was thinking that in Vietnam when I was a young officer, we worked with R.O.K. troops. I worked with them very directly. So all of a sudden, I’m saying, God, 60-year alliance, but I was there 45 years ago. (Laughter.) That’s a little scary.

Anyway, I thank you for those many, many years of friendship, and your troops were very, very tough and capable people. Thank you, sir.