Joint factsheet outlines Korea, Indo-Pacific security priorities

Kevin Kim, the U.S. chargé d’affaires to South Korea, described the joint factsheet on tariffs and security released on Nov. 14 as a document that encompasses not only the Korean Peninsula but also a vision for the Indo-Pacific region. He added on Nov. 28, “Our combined forces have agreed to respond together to all threats in the region.”

Speaking at the Korea-U.S. Alliance Forum, Kim said the factsheet is not a simple document. It addresses trade, the economy, defense, diplomacy, and a shared vision for the future between the United States and South Korea. He stressed the importance of tackling joint challenges on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region, including alliance modernization, the transfer of wartime operational control, and cooperation on nuclear-powered submarines. “Ultimately, the key is to strengthen deterrence on the Korean Peninsula and throughout the Indo-Pacific region,” he said.

Kim noted that security conditions in Northeast Asia are becoming more difficult and complex, citing North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities as well as North Korea-Russia military cooperation. He added that the two countries’ combined forces have agreed to respond to all threats in the region. Although he did not directly mention China, his remarks were interpreted as signaling that the U.S. plans to expand the role of U.S. Forces Korea to counterbalance China, following the Trump administration’s calls for alliance modernization. Kim also suggested that South Korea’s acquisition of nuclear submarines could potentially be used as a measure to check China.

Regarding solutions to the Korean Peninsula issue, Kim called President Donald Trump a “peacemaker” and said, “All options are possible, so no option should be excluded.” When asked by Chung Mong-joon, chairman of the Asan Foundation, about the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, Kim said, “I cannot comment on the likelihood,” but added, “Whatever happens, President Trump will do his utmost to maintain peace in the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region.”


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