President Yoon Suk Yeol’s congratulatory speech is displayed on a screen during the 10th Symposium on the Future of the Korean Peninsula, co-hosted by Yonhap News Agency and the Ministry of Unification, at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, on Friday June 28, 2024.
SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) — President Yoon Suk Yeol vowed Friday to overcome North Korea’s provocations and other international challenges by strengthening trilateral cooperation with the United States and Japan, Yoon made the pledge in a message read on his behalf at the opening of the 10th Symposium on the Future of the Korean Peninsula, co-hosted by Yonhap News Agency and the Unification Ministry.
“We will wisely overcome North Korea’s provocations and the global polycrisis,” Yoon said, referring to the continued threat posed by North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, as well as geopolitical tensions and growing insecurity in energy, resource and food markets.
Yoon stressed that his administration is investing all its efforts in trying to overcome these crises and challenges, and that he has fully restored the South Korea-U.S. alliance after his inauguration in 2022 and made it a “comprehensive strategic alliance.”
Yoon also noted that relations between South Korea and Japan normalized under his administration, culminating in the South Korea-US-Japan summit at Camp David in late August of the year. past, and on the opening of a “new horizon” in trilateral cooperation on the security and economic levels. “We will further strengthen the institutional foundations of the Korea-US-Japan cooperation system and consolidate solidarity and cooperation with nations sharing our values,” he added.
The forum was held this year at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul, with the theme: “Current Status and Challenges of South Korea-U.S.-Japan Trilateral Cooperation.” The forum brought together senior officials from the three countries, as well as foreign policy experts, to discuss solutions to international challenges, including the deepening of military ties between North Korea and Russia.
“The government and I will build a free and prosperous Republic of Korea based on strong security,” Yoon stressed, using South Korea’s official name. “We will play a responsible role for peace and prosperity not only in the region, but also in the world, by practicing diplomacy as a global pivotal state.”
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