South Korea Commits to Strengthening Alliance with the US During Blinken's Visit to Seoul
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Seoul, Jan 6 (NationPress) Woo Won-shik, the Speaker of South Korea's National Assembly, had a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday, where they explored strategies to enhance collaboration between South Korea and the United States, according to officials.
This discussion took place at the National Assembly during Blinken's visit to Seoul, which aims to reinforce the alliance with the US amidst political instability following last month's unsuccessful martial law attempt.
During the meeting, Woo emphasized the need for ongoing support from the US, mentioning that a special parliamentary delegation is preparing to visit the US shortly to present South Korea's current situation and seek further cooperation for their alliance.
"In addition to the national crisis stemming from the martial law situation, the Republic of Korea is mourning the tragic loss of lives in the passenger aircraft incident," Woo stated.
"However, just as we have persevered through various national crises, including colonial oppression, territorial division, and dictatorship, I am confident that we will overcome this challenge," he added.
A National Assembly official noted that Blinken's visit marks a historic moment, as he is the first US Secretary of State to meet with a South Korean National Assembly Speaker in the parliament, as reported by Yonhap news agency.
Earlier that day, Blinken paid a courtesy visit to acting President Choi Sang-mok and engaged in discussions regarding North Korea's nuclear ambitions and its military alignment with Russia alongside Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul.
During these talks, Blinken indicated that Russia plans to share advanced space and satellite technology with North Korea in exchange for military support from the North for its operations in Ukraine.
He expressed that this development poses a significant concern for the United States and its key allies, including South Korea and Japan.
"We have reasons to believe that Moscow is looking to provide advanced space and satellite technology to Pyongyang," Blinken mentioned during a joint press conference.
Blinken's trip includes visits to three nations, with upcoming stops in Japan and France. This journey is anticipated to be his final overseas visit as the leading US diplomat under the Biden administration.
