Andy Kim praises South Korea-U.S. summit outcome

Andy Kim, a Democratic congressman from New Jersey, the first Korean-American U.S. senator, and a foreign and security policy expert, recently praised the South Korea-U.S. summit, saying he was pleased to see a strong working relationship between the two presidents.

He also commented on President Lee Jae-myung’s visit to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, where Lee stated that the policy of “security with the U.S., economy with China” is no longer feasible, adding that “many members of the U.S. Senate and administration received it very positively.”

He noted in particular that the response from Washington’s political and policy circles to the recent summit has been positive. Kim said, “I spoke with members of both parties in the U.S. Senate, and they seemed very positive about the South Korea-U.S. summit. They felt that President Lee would be able to build a strong working relationship with President Trump and the White House.”

He also highlighted South Korea’s demonstrated willingness for U.S.-Korea cooperation in the shipbuilding sector, as well as its intent to invest in the U.S. even before the Trump administration took office. “Everyone has received it very positively. I heard only favorable responses from both the White House and members of Congress regarding South Korea’s investment intentions,” he said.

Regarding the strategic flexibility of U.S. forces in South Korea, which President Lee has said he would find difficult to readily agree to, Kim noted that “the United States can maintain the strategic flexibility of its forces in South Korea while helping to defend the Korean Peninsula through extended deterrence.” This suggested that, given China’s rise and the resulting changes in the East Asian security landscape, South Korea may also need to cooperate with the strategic flexibility of U.S. forces stationed in the country.

He emphasized, however, that any reduction of U.S. forces in South Korea, as occasionally discussed, must be based on an agreement between the two countries. “I believe that, unless a separate agreement is reached between the U.S. and South Korea, the troop levels of U.S. forces in South Korea should not be altered,” he said. “If the United States acts unilaterally without prior consultation with South Korea, it would send a negative message about the state of the U.S.-Korea alliance to our competitors and adversaries.”


Woo-Sun Lim imsun@donga.com