On Thursday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol called upon members of the US Congress to work together with Seoul in response to North Korean aggression, emphasizing that the peninsula is a significant threat to global democracy. Yoon made these comments following President Joe Biden’s recent decision to deploy nuclear-armed American submarines to South Korea as a deterrent against North Korea’s nuclear activities.
Despite this development, Yoon reiterated the strong and long standing relationship between Seoul and Washington, which has been established over the past 70 years, to both Democrats and Republicans.
During his speech, Yoon expressed that South Korea is in a position to take a more proactive role in promoting freedom globally, thanks to the strong historical alliance with the United States. However, he also acknowledged that North Korea has continued to pursue an authoritarian path despite this reality.
Yoon called for increased collaboration between Japan, South Korea, and the United States to counter North Korea’s actions. He also emphasized the significance of Seoul as a leading security player in the “Indo-Pacific era.” Furthermore, Yoon criticized North Korea’s nuclear aspirations and condemned Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Although Yoon spoke for 50 minutes, experts noted that he did not mention the Chinese communist regime, which is currently the primary geopolitical rival of the United States. In fact, US officials have identified China as the most significant global security challenge that the White House is facing presently.
In recent years, the Biden administration has strengthened ties with East and South Asian nations to counter China’s influence in the region. This move has received widespread approval from both Democrats and Republicans, who agree that the US has strategic interests in this part of the world and that allowing China to expand its influence could be perilous.
