Minister plays down US parties' omission of NK denuke goal

South Korean Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho (center), US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg (left) and Japan's new Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima attend a forum marking the first anniversary of the Camp David trilateral summit on Wednesday at the Korea Press Center in Seoul. (Yonhap)

Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho on Wednesday aimed to quell rising concerns in Seoul over the omission of US commitments to North Korea's denuclearization from the 2024 platforms of both the Democratic and Republican parties.

Kim remarked, "There has been back-and-forth debate recently over the platforms of US presidential candidates," specifically referring to the US Democratic Party’s platform released in August and the Republican Party’s platform from July that set the party's priorities for the next four years.

"However, the denuclearization of North Korea remains a steadfast commitment shared by South Korea, the US and Japan," Kim said in his Korean-language speech at a forum hosted by the Unification Ministry and the Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences.

"I am confident that our trilateral cooperation to achieve North Korea's denuclearization, along with our robust response to any provocations by North Korea, will remain steadfast, regardless of changes in political leadership," Kim added during the event marking the first anniversary of the first-ever standalone trilateral summit held at Camp David in August 2023.

Kim emphasized that the leaders of the three countries reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in the joint statement issued following the Camp David summit.

In South Korea, the debate has centered on the reasons behind the Democratic Party's notable absence of references to North Korean denuclearization from its 2024 party platform.

The omission stands in stark contrast to the party's 2020 presidential platform, where it committed to "a sustained, coordinated diplomatic campaign to advance the longer-term goal of denuclearization" of North Korea.

Similarly, the US Republican Party's 2024 platform has no mention of North Korea, diverging from its 2016 and 2020 platforms -- the latter of which was a reissue of the 2016 platform. In 2016, the Republican Party pledged to "demand the complete, verifiable and irreversible dismantlement of North Korea's nuclear weapons program with full accounting of its proliferation activities."

Echoing Kim's sentiments, US Ambassador to South Korea Philip Goldberg emphasized ongoing collaborative efforts to institutionalize cooperation for long-term sustainability.

"As we've laid the foundations for this trilateral engagement to grow, I want to take a moment to emphasize that this past year of engagements represents only the beginning," Goldberg said. "As such, we must carry this new era of trilateral partnership forward to institutionalize our cooperation and seek all opportunities to advance our interests together at every level."

Japan's new ambassador to South Korea, Koichi Mizushima, also underlined that the current "realities demand an even greater emphasis on cooperation among South Korea, the US and Japan."

Mizushima noted that "security cooperation among South Korea, the US and Japan has been fundamentally strengthened," highlighting the first-ever trilateral multidomain exercise, Freedom Edge, in June and the activation of a real-time North Korean missile warning data-sharing mechanism last December as key examples.

"Beyond cooperation on North Korea, our collaboration is also expanding into various other areas, including technology, cybersecurity, space and the broader Indo-Pacific region," Mizushima said.

However, Ralph Cossa, president emeritus at the Pacific Forum, stressed the need for the three countries to intensify efforts to institutionalize their trilateral partnership, citing domestic political dynamics in each nation.

Cossa pointed to the upcoming US presidential election in November, which he noted could "result in a major shift in alliance management tactics and potentially policy," depending on the outcome.

He also highlighted the September election for the leadership of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which will determine the successor to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who has "been more forthcoming than many of his predecessors" regarding trilateral cooperation.

Cossa further pointed out the limitations faced by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is restricted to a single five-year term, adding, "Many are already labeling him a lame duck due to the ruling party’s setbacks in this year’s legislative elections."

"Let’s be honest," Cossa concluded. "There is a growing sense of urgency for the institutionalization of this trilateral effort."

By Ji Da-gyum(dagyumji@heraldcorp.com)