'The U.S. will cooperate with S. Korea 100 percent,' says Trump

South Korean Acting President Hwang Kyo-ahn and U.S. President Donald Trump spoke on the phone for the first time and reaffirmed commitment to strengthen the bilateral alliance and joint defense capabilities against North Korea’s nuclear and missile program. Mr. Hwang’s office quoted Mr. Trump as saying that the U.S. would cooperate with South Korea “100 percent” and that bilateral relations would be “better than ever before.”

The phone call started at 9 a.m. on Monday and continued for about 30 minutes. Mr. Hwang stressed the need to respond strongly based on close cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. if the North attempted military provocations despite repeated warnings by the international community and Mr. Trump said that the U.S. would cooperate with South Korea 100 percent.

President Trump said that the coming visit to South Korea by Defense Secretary James Mattis (scheduled on Feb. 2) could serve as an opportunity to closely discuss ways to strengthen joint defense capabilities and bilateral alliance against North Korea’s nuclear program. “President Trump reiterated our ironclad commitment to defend Korea including through the provision of extended deterrence, using the full range of military capabilities,” the White House said in a statement. The fact that both South Korea and the U.S. repeatedly stressed the bilateral alliance between the two countries and close cooperation to deal with North Korea’s nuclear issues during the phone conversation is interpreted as a warning against the North as it continues to threat to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).

Kyung-Im Woo woohaha@donga.com · Seung-Heon Lee ddr@donga.com