Focus shifts to Kamala Harris's ties with Korea as Yoon's trusted partner Biden calls it quits

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reserved comment on U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement to drop out of the presidential race after mounting calls from his own party on Sunday.

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, left, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris shake hands after touring NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, on April 25, 2023. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

[NEWS ANALYSIS]

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol reserved comment on U.S. President Joe Biden's announcement to drop out of the presidential race after mounting calls from his own party on Sunday.

"We will not comment on the domestic political situations of other countries," a presidential official said Monday. "Support for the Korea-U.S. alliance is bipartisan in the United States, and our government will continue to work closely with Washington to continue developing the global comprehensive strategic alliance between our two countries."

Analysts highlight the special bond between Yoon and Biden. During their first summit in Seoul on May 21, 2022, a small group meeting attended only by key aides lasted 72 minutes, whereas it was initially supposed to last just 30 minutes.

"The two leaders seemed to find that their consensus on the value of liberal democracy was much broader than they had anticipated," said former National Security Adviser Kim Sung-han, following the briefing, describing their relationship as having "very good chemistry." The desk plaque in Yoon's office, bearing the phrase "The Buck Stops Here!" was a gift from Biden.

This trust translated into diplomatic achievements.

President Yoon Suk Yeol embraces U.S. President Joe Biden at the Korea-Japan-Australia-New Zealand (IP4) summit during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. on July 11. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The Washington Declaration establishing nuclear consultations between South Korea and the U.S. was adopted during Yoon's state visit last year. The agreement was deepened at this year's NATO summit in the form of a joint statement on the Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula on July 11. The document formalized the United States' significantly enhanced extended deterrence commitment and was the only bilateral joint statement issued by Biden during the NATO summit.

In diplomatic circles, there was speculation that Yoon's relatively late response to the July 13 assassination attempt on former U.S. President Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, reflected his relationship with Biden.

Yoon issued a statement about seven hours after the shooting, while the leaders of Britain, Australia and Japan issued statements about two hours after the incident.

"Regardless of whether the next U.S. president is a Democratic candidate or former President Trump, the trust in the Korea-U.S. alliance, based on institutional foundations, will remain steadfast," a senior official from the presidential office told the JoongAng Ilbo, and assured that "the government is diplomatically prepared for all possibilities."

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris visits the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, at Panmunjeom in South Korea on Sept. 29, 2022. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Kamala Harris, endorsed by Biden on Sunday as his successor as the Democratic presidential candidate, is anticipated to continue the Biden administration's emphasis on alliances if the U.S. vice president wins the upcoming presidential election against Trump, according to analysts. She could become the first Black woman and first Asian American to lead the ticket of a major U.S. political party.

As a senator during Trump's presidency, Harris criticized Trump's conciliatory approach toward North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, arguing that Trump was not responding strongly enough to North Korea's nuclear threats.

"Let me start by saying this: I guarantee you I won’t be exchanging love letters with Kim Jong-un," Harris said in August 2019 in response to the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)'s question to Democratic presidential candidates whether they would agree to partial sanctions relief in exchange for the partial dismantling of North Korea's nuclear weapons program. "President Trump has handed Kim one PR victory after the next, all without securing any real concessions, so the next president will have serious work to do.

"Ultimately, we can't accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state," she added. "But it’s clear that simply demanding complete denuclearization is a recipe for failure; we must work closely with our allies to contain and reverse the short-term threats posed by Pyongyang as we work toward that long-term goal."

This contrasts with Trump, who boasted of his friendship with Kim, saying the North Korean leader "misses" him and "would like to see [him] back" in a speech to the Republican National Convention on July 18.

During an appearance on CBS in September last year, Harris said, "We are all absolutely clear and unequivocal about our goal of the complete denuclearization of North Korea."

U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, right, stands at a military observation post as she visits the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas, in Panmunjeom in South Korea on Sept. 29, 2022. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Though not directly involved with Korean affairs and having limited exposure to the Korean public, Harris visited South Korea in September 2022, where she stressed the "ironclad" nature of the U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea.

"I cannot state enough that the commitment of the United States to the defense of the Republic of Korea is ironclad," she said after visiting the "truce village" of Panmunjeom on the inter-Korean border on Sept. 29, 2022. “In the South, we see a thriving democracy. In the North, we see a brutal dictatorship."

Highlighting the contrasting developments of the two Koreas since the 1950-53 Korean War, she said, “Nearly 70 years since the Korean Armistice, the threat of conflict remains. And we are reminded that the alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea stands ready to address any contingency.”

Despite her brief stay of just over eight hours in South Korea, before touring the demilitarized zone, Harris met with Korean women leaders at the residence of the U.S. ambassador in Seoul, such as Korean figure skating champion Kim Yuna, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon and Oscar-winning actress Youn Yuh-jung. She said she had met with women leaders in other countries she had visited as vice president and reiterated one of her mother's sayings about "being the first but making sure you're not the last."

Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, right, poses for a photo with U.S. second gentleman Douglas Emhoff at his office in Seoul on May 10, 2022. Emhoff and his congratulatory delegation attended Yoon's inaugural ceremony earlier in the day. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Harris' husband, attorney Douglas Emhoff, who would become the United States' first gentleman in the event of Harris's election, also visited South Korea in May 2022 — even before Harris — leading the U.S. delegation to attend Yoon's inauguration ceremony. His visit was seen as a symbolic gesture of the robust Korea-U.S. alliance, highlighting the solidified relationship between the two nations.

Yoon met with Emhoff on the day of the inauguration for a 30-minute conversation, during which Emhoff delivered a letter from Biden.

"We all look forward to working in lockstep with you and your team to shape our common vision for an even brighter future," said Emhoff.

Douglas Emhoff, center, visits Gwangjang Market in Seoul with television personality Hong Seok-cheon, right, on May 11, 2022. [KIM HYUN-DONG]

During his visit, Emhoff also focused on minority rights, visiting the traditional Korean Gwangjang Market in central Seoul with Hong Seok-cheon, a prominent openly gay celebrity.

In addition to these activities, Emhoff engaged in various public diplomacy efforts, including meetings with representatives from Netflix Korea.

BY SEO JI-EUN,PARK TAE-IN,JEONG YEONG-KYO [seo.jieun1@joongang.co.kr]