Steel Urges South Korea To Lead Indo-Pacific

U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Michelle Steel delivers a special speech at an AMCHAM luncheon meeting held at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan District, Seoul, on Oct. 21. (Provided by Yonhap News Agency)  The U.S. government has issued an official recommendation that South Korea should move beyond being merely a beneficiary in the Indo-Pacific region and exercise leading leadership. The message was that South Korea, which achieved economic growth with U.S. support after the Korean War, should now assume greater responsibility for maintaining regional security and order. U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Michelle Park Steel made the remarks on Oct. 21 at a special luncheon meeting hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea at Mondrian Seoul Itaewon in Yongsan District, Seoul. In a conversation with AMCHAM Chairman James Kim, Ambassador Steel made clear that the time had come for South Korea to demonstrate leadership in the Indo-Pacific region, saying, "Korea is no longer a country that is only protected by the United States." Ambassador Steel identified China as the biggest threat in the Indo-Pacific region and stressed close cooperation between South Korea and the United States. She particularly pointed to concerns over China expanding its influence over maritime trade routes and taking a coercive stance toward neighboring countries at a time when vast amounts of crude oil and natural gas are transported through major regional sea lanes. As part of the response, the importance of trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan was also raised. Citing recently conducted trilateral military drills, Ambassador Steel said cooperation should be broadly strengthened beyond bilateral South Korea-U.S. ties to include cooperation with Japan. Regarding North Korea, she reaffirmed the existing principle of "unconditional dialogue" premised on denuclearization. She explained that the U.S. government always keeps the door open for dialogue and that the most important value is to deter war. At the same time, she expressed caution over the recent increase in the level of North Korea's military threats. Ambassador Steel mentioned that North Korea is not only improving the accuracy of its missile launches but is also dispatching troops to take part in the Russia-Ukraine war, adding that South Korea and the United States must accurately assess the current situation and discuss ways to stop it. She also made clear that while it is difficult to predict when North Korea-U.S. dialogue might resume, South Korea's participation in that process is essential. The inseparability of security and the economy was also a key agenda item at the meeting. In a special speech, Ambassador Steel assessed that security and prosperity cannot be separated and that South Korea-U.S. cooperation has supported stability and growth on the Korean Peninsula. At the same time, she offered pointed criticism of digital regulatory barriers in the South Korean market. The demand was that a fair competitive environment should be created so that U.S. companies can be treated equally with South Korean companies. Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander of United States Forces Korea, also attended the meeting and reaffirmed the strength of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, while James Kim responded that the leadership of the two figures is essential to opening a new chapter in the South Korea-U.S. partnership.