South Korean President Wants to Maintain Alliance with the US Forever

South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump. Photo: AP

The statement was made by President Moon at a meeting at the South Korean Presidential Palace with senior US military officers stationed in the Northeast Asian country.

The meeting was held to honor the service of General Vincent Brooks, the outgoing commander of U.S. Forces Korea, after two and a half years in the position.

“The ROK-US alliance was forged in war, but it did not stop there,” President Moon said. “This relationship is evolving into a great alliance that creates security and prosperity for both the US and ROK, and leads to peace and stability in Northeast Asia.”

President Moon said both countries have made dramatic changes over the past year, referring to the current peace process that has helped realize three inter-Korean summits and the historic first-ever US-North Korea summit.

The South Korean leader affirmed: “Now a second US-North Korea summit and a fourth inter-Korean summit are before our eyes.”

According to President Moon, North Korea has refrained from nuclear and missile tests since last November and has taken some denuclearization measures. Mr. Moon expressed hope that the second US-North Korea summit will make significant progress in the denuclearization process.

For his part, General Brooks stressed that despite many challenges and difficulties since taking office, the South Korean President has handled the North Korean issue well and made progress towards establishing conditions for lasting peace.

Meanwhile, US Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris said that the relationship between the two countries is at its best and affirmed that this alliance will continue to develop due to strong military and diplomatic ties.

South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said he affirmed the strength of the two countries' alliance at the annual defense ministers' meeting in Washington last week.

The alliance has so far helped South Korea achieve its goal of economic prosperity, he said, and it is time for the two countries to push for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Since the beginning of the year, the Korean Peninsula has seen positive developments in inter-Korean relations and the nuclear issue. The leaders of South Korea and North Korea have held three summits with positive results.

The statements issued after the meetings laid important foundations for promoting an era of peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula, helping to elevate inter-Korean relations to a new level, and setting concrete goals for denuclearization, bringing the Korean Peninsula closer to peace and prosperity.