On the 8th (local time), the White House addressed concerns about the potential weakening of the defense commitment to the Korean Peninsula due to the U.S.’s focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. “We are always working to prepare for emergencies on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” they stated.
John Kirby, the National Security Council (NSC) Coordinator, responded to a question during a briefing about whether the U.S. has a strategic response plan for emergencies on the Korean Peninsula or Taiwan, given its focus on the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.
He said, “Including additional training and military exercises, strengthening intelligence collection capabilities outside the Korean Peninsula, and maintaining strong military power in the Indo-Pacific region, President Biden is investing a lot of energy and resources to fulfill his security commitment to South Korea.” He added, “We are ensuring that the U.S.-Korea alliance is maintained as solid as steel.”
Coordinator Kirby also commented on South Korea’s role in the war between Israel and the armed Palestinian faction Hamas, stating, “That is a sovereign decision. If South Korea thinks it has a role, it should decide for itself.”
By Cho Yoo Jin
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