Korea-US alliance needs an action plan beyond words

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry repeatedly stressed the solid ROK-U.S. alliance and strongly warned about North Korea’s military moves in a meeting with South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se and a press conference on Monday. As for the history issue, which is the cause of conflicts between Korea and Japan, Mr. Kerry said, “It would be better to deal with historical disputes in a direction of harmony and healing.” It was well expected that he would reiterate the importance of the ROK-US alliance in the run-up to President Park Geun-hye’s visit to the U.S. next month. Further, South Korea and the U.S. should restore the cooperative relationship among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan sharing democracy, a market economy and values on human rights and strengthen cooperation in global issues beyond Northeast Asia.

Mr. Kerry said North Korea shows flagrant disregard for international law by continuing to build its nuclear bomb and missile programs. As for North Korea’s threats, he added,” We’re discussing what will come next.” As dialogues cannot address threats, it might be necessary to increase pressure and step up sanctions against North Korea. South Korea and the U.S. should make a specific plan to make the North abandon nuclear weapons and missiles, whether it be a dialogue or pressure. In addition, the two countries need to start discussing whether they really need to deploy THAAD.

Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said that if North Korea attacks the U.S. with missiles, Japan will exercise collective self-defense and attack military bases in North Korea with the U.S. Although it is a step in the direction following the revision of the U.S.-Japan defense guidelines, it is a sensitive issue to South Korea. Mr. Kerry said, “The U.S. and Japan will not violate international law or do an act that South Korea does not approve.” However, deploying Japan’s self-defense forces on the Korean peninsula in case of emergency would need sufficient discussions between South Korea and the U.S. in advance.

Mr. Kerry gave a lecture on the “U.S. global policy on cyber space” at the Inchon Memorial Lecture. The U.S. has aroused attention on cyber terrorist attack since North Korea’s hacking of Sony Pictures. Mr. Kerry’s visit to South Korea is partly a preparation for President Park’s upcoming visit to the U.S. Both South Korean and U.S. leaders should show their evolving alliance more in detail when they meet in Washington next month. There would be no need to compare their protocol and courtesy with those of the alliance between the U.S. and Japan. A true alliance is going in the same direction with strong trust and dependence even without a word.