Text Fwd: S.Korea, U.S. and Japan convene tripartite talks 남한, 미국, 일본, 3각 대화 소집

* Image source: same as the link

'From left, Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara, U.S. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton, and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan convene a press conference following the conclusion of tripartite talks, Dec. 6 (local time). (AFP Yonhap)'

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Related activist photos

Thursday, December 9, 2010
Photos Fwd: Denunciation on the talks between the ROK-US joint chiefs of staff_Stop the talks on the abuse of illegal self-defense right!
한미 합참의장 협의회' 규탄_불법적 자위권 남용 대화 중단하라!

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See the reference materials

[범민련 원문 자료실]에 서 최근 한미 합참의장 협의회 공동 성명 (클릭), 한미일 삼자 외교 장관 회의 공동 성명(클릭)등을 보실 수 있읍니다.

U. S. Dept of State: Trilateral Statement Japan, Republic of Korea, and the United States
Dec. 6, 2010

U.S. Depart. of State: Remarks with Japanese Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara and South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan Dec. 6, 2010

Ministry of National Defense, ROK: Recent News No. 682: ROK-US CJCS Joint Press Statement
2010-12-08

Ministry of National Defense, ROK: Recent New NO. 681
Address to the Nation by President Lee Myung-bak on the Shelling of Yeonpyeongdo by North Korea
2010-12-08
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Hankyoreh
S.Korea, U.S. and Japan convene tripartite talks
: During a tripartite meeting, S.Korea and Japan showed more support for a U.S. presence into Northeast Asia affairs
By Kwon Tae-ho, Washington Correstpondent
Posted on : Dec.8,2010

A key Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) official reported Tuesday that South Korea and the United States have agreed to bomb North Korea using aircraft if North Korea launches additional provocations.

“The two countries agreed to the plan of action after the Yeonpyeong Island artillery attack by North Korea, and that the United States agreed that South Korea should strongly respond to additional provocations in self-defense,” said the official. “This means that when South Korea is attacked, it would actively respond relying not only on weapons in the area, but also mobilizing air power.”

During a meeting of the South Korean, U.S. and Japanese foreign ministers in Washington on Sunday, the U.S. and Japanese foreign ministers reportedly did not raise objections to South Korea’s plan to strongly respond militarily should North Korea commit additional provocations.

A high-ranking South Korean government official met with South Korean correspondents in Washington on Sunday and said, “South Korea has the right to respond in this manner, since it constitutes a response to a North Korean attack rather than a preemptive strike.”

During the tripartite meeting, there even appeared agenda items that seemed to resuscitate the so-called “three way southern alliance” of South Korea, the United States and Japan. In a joint statement, the three foreign ministers said Seoul, Washington and Tokyo had pledged to strengthen their efforts regarding the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the East Asia Summit (EAS), and in particular, South Korea and Japan welcomed formal U.S. participation in the ARF starting in 2011.

Requesting anonymity, one diplomatic source said, “The EAS has recently become the multilateral body shown the most concern by Washington, which seeks to intervene politically and militarily in Asia.”

The EAS was launched in 2005 with the intention of checking growing Chinese influence on ASEAN. Participating in the meeting, besides ASEAN state, are Australia, New Zealand, India and other nations trying to check the rise of China. If the United States becomes a formal member next year, it will secure a means to speak against China regarding politics and security in East Asia. It appears South Korea and Japan will become active allies in this.

On Tuesday, Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a meeting of major commanders that subordinate commanders will be able to exercise self-defense during provocations and strongly respond until the basis of the enemy threat is eliminated, handing down command guidelines that allows commanders to take measures first, with reports to superiors coming afterwards. Defense Ministry policy director Jang Gwang-il said since the shelling of Yeonpyeong-do, both South Korea and the United States have agreed on the new command guidelines, and that regarding amending the rules of engagement, the Joint Chiefs of Staff would hold working-level meetings with Combined Forces Command and UN Command to consider whether to broadly change the rules of engagement or change just parts of them.

In Yongsan on Wednesday, the South Korean and U.S. chairmen of their respective Joint Chiefs of Staff will meet to discuss a plan to simplify the measures Korea needs to take to gain the approval of both the South Korean chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the head of U.N. Command for responding with aircraft to North Korean provocations.

A government official said maritime fire drills on the Five West Sea Islands, suspended since the Yeonpyeong Island shelling on Nov. 23, would restart next week.

Meanwhile, President Lee Myung-bak said at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday that he would push for the gradual fortification of the Five West Sea Islands, and instructed government ministries to also create conditions, including jobs, that would allow local residents to continue to reside on the islands. Revealed as a plan of consideration by the military after the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island, the fortification of the islands means equipping the islands with underground facilities and air-raid shelters that would allow residents to safely live on the islands, Cheong Wa Dae explained. Authorities reportedly had an eye on Taiwan’s Kinmen Islands, which geopolitically share a similar environment to the Five West Sea Islands.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr

* This text was also thankfully distributed by Bruce Gagnon on Nov. 8, 2010 and Steve Zeltzer on Nov. 9, 2010
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Dec. 9, 2010
Kyunghyang ilbo
U.S. Soldiers Can Be Mobilized To Crush North Korea's Future Local Provocations, South Korea-U.S. Agreed 미국 군인들은 북한의 미래 지역 도발을 위해 동원될 수 있다고 남한과 미국 동의

December 8, 2010
Stop NATO
U.S. Military Chief Calls For U.S.-S. Korea-Japan Military Triad
Voice of America News 미국 합참 대장 한미일 삼각 군사 동맹을 부름

Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Text Fwd: U.S.'s Top Military Commander To Visit South Korea
미국 최고 군사 사령관 멀렌, 남한 방문 (12월 7일)

Monday, December 6, 2010
Text Fwd: S.Korea to hold artillery exercises at 29 coastal locations
남한, 29 해안 지역에서 포격 연습 실시할 것임

Sunday, December 5, 2010
Text Fwd: Defense minister-designate voices support for self-defense air raids
국방 장관 내정자, 북한에 대해 자위 방어 공습 지지

Kyunghyang
Plan to Reinforce Military Power in the Five West Sea Islands Is Heavily Flawed
서해 5도 군사 전력 강화 계획은 심각하게 잘못되어 있음
Dec. 1, 2010
(* Thanks to M.S. Japan on Dec. 8, 2010)

Text Fwd: Washington Shores Up Its Strategic Assets in Asia

* Text Fwd from Stop NATO on Aug. 3, 2010

New York Times
Opinion: Washington Shores Up Its Strategic Assets in Asia
(International Herald Tribune)
August 2, 2010
By PHILIP BOWRING


HONG KONG: The United States has been gravely weakened by its Iraq and Afghan wars and consequent neglect of the strategic importance of East Asia. But two recent moves by Washington — the joint naval exercises with South Korea and a spirited diplomatic defense of the freedom of the South China Sea — have shown a renewed concern with America’s security interests in Northeast and Southeast Asia. Both these actions have been generally well received in the region, but not by China.

America’s military maneuvers with South Korea last week reminded China of the overwhelming naval superiority that the U.S. and its allies still enjoy in the region. Meanwhile, at the meeting last month in Hanoi of the Asean regional forum, which brought foreign ministers from the 10 Southeast Asian nations together with U.S., Chinese and other officials, Vietnam successfully conspired with the United States to get the South China Sea issue back on the table for discussion at international meetings. This annoyed Beijing, which insists on treating disputes over those waters as a series of bilateral issues between itself and other claimants and has reasserted its claims to sovereignty over the sea.

Naturally, Beijing resents interference by a distant power in a region where its influence might otherwise go unchallenged....

Not all observers agree that it was wise of Washington and Seoul to respond with a show of force to the sinking...of a South Korean warship, the Cheonan. In South Korea opinion remains deeply divided about how best to deal with Pyongyang — with tough talk and more sanctions, or by ignoring its provocations, or by attempting to re-engage in the name of pan-Korean fraternity.
....
The United States, by declaring in Hanoi that it has an interest in freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and the settlement of disputed claims by international law, has put itself firmly in the camp of Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and other nations with stakes in the outcome. Although China owns only about one-fifth of the coastline, Beijing claims almost all the islands, resources and navigation rights. It bolsters its claims with a Sino-centric version of history that ignores the fact that ethnic Malay seafarers, the ancestors of today’s Malaysians, Indonesians, Filipinos and the Chams of Vietnam, dominated commerce in those waters centuries before the Chinese.

Vietnam has recently been showing more determination than the other claimants — Malaysia, the Philippines and Brunei — to talk back to China, strengthening its island defenses and ordering six submarines from Russia. U.S. power and Vietnamese resolve have now made the other claimants willing to support internationalization of the issue rather than, like the Philippines, be sucked into bilateral discussions and oil exploration joint ventures with China.

Asean itself has proved a poor vehicle for pressing the Southeast Asian claims because only half its members are concerned about the issue. Nor have the claimants shown much willingness to compromise among themselves and present China with a united front. But the Hanoi meeting has again brought the issue to international attention and reminded Japan, Russia and other nations that no one has an interest in seeing Beijing in control of the strategically vital South China Sea.

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Stop NATO

Blog site:

Text Fwd: UN condemns attack on Cheonan

* Image source: same as the below link

'Delegates attend the conference of the U.N. Security Council at the U.N. headquarters in New York City, July 9, 2010. The U.N. Security Council on Friday adopted a presidential statement on the sinking of the South Korean patrol combat corvette Cheonan in March. (Xinhua photo)'

Hankyoreh
UN condemns attack on Cheonan
: The Presidential Statement allows for a “double interpretation,” and does not blame or place consequences upon N.Korea
July 10, 2010

The President’s Statement adopted and circulated Friday (local time) by the United Nations Security Council on the Cheonan sinking was the product of an ongoing diplomatic compromise. It opened up the possibility for a “double interpretation,” allowing South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, which claim the sinking resulted from a “North Korean torpedo attack,” and North Korea, China, and Russia, which reject that explanation, to interpret it in whatever way they like. In summary, the statement ruled that the sinking resulted from an “attack,” but did not specify who carried out that attack. So the international community’s discussion on the sinking comes to an end with the adoption of this statement, but with no point of contact found between the two positions, it has become impossible to conclude the debate once and for all. “Competing interpretations” appear to be inevitable in the days ahead as well. This is why it is difficult to make any clear predictions on how the political situation on the Korean Peninsula will unfold, including whether the six-party talks will resume sooner rather than later.

An official with South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said Friday that the statement “included all the intended key elements” and that it was a “satisfactory outcome.” They have claimed a “diplomatic success” for four reasons. First, Paragraphs 2-7 of the statement twice emphasizes that the sinking of the Cheonan was caused by an “attack,” and “deplores” and “condemns” this. Second, Item 5 expresses “deep concern” in view of the findings of the joint civilian-military investigation team stating that responsibility for the Cheonan’s sinking lies with North Korea. Third, Paragraph 8 emphasized the importance of preventing such attacks and acts of hostility. Fourth, paragraph 4 urges appropriate and peaceful measures against those responsible for the incident.

However, other interpretations differing from that of the South Korean government are also possible. A case in point is Paragraph 9, which states that the UNSC takes into account North Korea’s response that it had nothing to do with the incident, as well as the response from other concerned countries. In essence, the claims of North Korea and South were presented side by side, albeit with differences in the amount of space allotted to them, which actually leaves North Korea with the margin to use this as an “acquittal.” This is why observers are calling the statement, as Inje University professor Kim Yeon-chul put it, “a failure of South Korean diplomatic efforts that had the goal of ‘coaxing out a unified response from the international community’ by referring the matter to the UNSC.”

As a result, it has also become unclear whether the conclusion of UNSC discussions will lead to an early resolution of the Cheonan situation and a resumption of the six-party talks. The possibility exists that the controversy over the cause of the sinking will reignite among the concerned countries, including North Korea and South Korea.

However, attention must also be paid to the fact that the President’s Statement did not provide any basis for additional measures against North Korea. Indeed, even though the statement urged “appropriate and peaceful measures” against those responsible, it did not specify who should carry out such measures. In Paragraph 10, it also encouraged “the settlement of outstanding issues on the Korean peninsula by peaceful means” in order to resume direct dialogue and discussions through appropriate channels as soon as possible, which in some sense could be seen as a curb on additional hard-line measures against North Korea from South Korea, the U.S., or Japan. This gives some indication of traces of “Chinese diplomacy,” as well as strategic adjustments by the U.S. and China to prevent the political situation on the Korean Peninsula from deteriorating further.

Analysts are predicting that the future course of the political situation on the Peninsula will become clearer with the South Korea-U.S. “2 plus 2” summit between foreign and defense ministers in Seoul on July 21 and the ASEAN Regional Forum to take place in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi on July 21 to 23. The general view among experts is that the keys to whether the situation will stabilize in the near future and dialogue will begin again are the strategic coordination by the U.S. and China and the question of whether North Korea and South Korea refrain from additional aggression.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

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* Related articles

Korea Times

07-09-2010
UNSC condemns attack on South Korean warship

Korea Times
'N. Korea considers exit strategy from Cheonan'
07-10-2010

Yonhap News
U.N. condemns attack of S. Korean warship without naming N. Korea
2010/07/10

U.S. dismisses N. Korea's diplomatic victory claim over U.N. ship sinking statement
China urges resumption of nuclear talks after U.N. condemns attack on S. Korean warship
Chronology of events related to sinking of S. Korean warship
UNSC statement-text

Text Fwd: N. Korea indicates willingness to engage in bilateral talks with the U.S. at ARF

* Image source/ description: same as below

"U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton walks past North Korea’s chief delegate Pak Kun-gwang before a group photo session at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in Phuket on July 23, 2009."

Hankyoreh
N. Korea indicates willingness to engage in bilateral talks with the U.S. at ARF:
However, N. Korea delegation denounces U.S.’s offer of a “comprehensive package” as “nonsense” and ARF urges N. Korea to return to six-party talks
Posted on : Jul.24,2009 12:29 KST

The North Korean delegation to the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in Phuket, Thailand said the U.S.’s offer of a “comprehensive package” Thursday was “just a replay of the Bush administration’s policy of “complete, verifiable, irreversible dismantlement” (CVID) and dismissed it as “nonsense.”

Ri Hung-sik, director-general of the North Korean foreign ministry’s international organization bureau relayed these sentiments at a press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in Phuket. Ri stressed, however, that North Korea is not opposed to dialogue, which has led some observers to interpret his comments as hinting that under the right conditions, it would be willing to negotiate with the U.S. This is virtually the first time that North Korea has given such an indication that it would enter negotiations since its long-range rocket launch and second nuclear test. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton also indicated an intention to talk with North Korea and revealed slightly more details about the comprehensive package at a press conference Thursday.

Ri said the U.S. is offering a package in exchange for North Korea’s agreement to abandon its nuclear program, but the program exists as a response to the U.S.’s hostile policy towards North Korea. He stressed that North Korea could not talk with the U.S. while the latter carried a knife. He said North Korea would not trade in its sovereignty and security, or its life, while the U.S. deploys countless advanced weapons in South Korea. Ri emphasized that North Korea needed to defend itself as a small country. Asked if North Korea would return to the six-party talks, he said North Korea had already declared it has no intention of doing so. Some analysts are interpreting this as a demand for bilateral talks with the U.S.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers at the forum, which draws together 27 countries including the 10 nations of ASEAN, 10 dialogue partners like South Korea and the U.S., and several other countries like North Korea and Mongolia, adopted a chairman’s statement. The chairman’s statement reportedly condemns North Korea’s rocket launch and second nuclear test, and calls for the country to return immediately to the six-party talks.

Please direct questions or comments to [englishhani@hani.co.kr]

© 2006 The Hankyoreh Media Company

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Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Hillary Clinton sees herself mother of the North Korea?


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http://koreareport2.blogspot.com/2009/07/so-close-yet-so-far-apart.html
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