A group of U.S. lawmakers sent a bipartisan letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Friday to reaffirm the South Korea-U.S. alliance ahead of the third Summit for Democracy to be hosted by Seoul next week.
Reps. Joe Wilson (R-SC) and Gerry Connolly (D-VA), along with Korea Caucus Co-Chairs Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Ami Bera (D-CA), delivered the letter as Seoul is set to host the summit, a U.S.-led initiative to promote solidarity among democracies, from Monday to Wednesday.
The letter has 13 signatories, including the four lawmakers and other members of Congress.
“We write to recognize the United States’ continued dedication to the U.S.-Korea alliance, an alliance forged in blood over 70 years ago and based in shared democratic values,” they wrote in the letter.
“We commend and applaud the ROK for hosting the important gathering … We fully support the Republic of Korea (ROK)’s initiative and encourage the administration to continue its work with counterparts in Ko
rea to ensure the summit’s success,” they said. ROK is South Korea’s official name.
In the letter, the lawmakers said that Seoul is hosting the summit against the backdrop of “ongoing destabilizing provocations” by North Korea, as they pointed out that Pyongyang has recently unleashed a barrage of “hostile and aggressive threats” against the South and conducted a series of weapons tests, including the launch of a solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile in December.
“These actions pose a serious risk for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” they wrote.
They also reiterated their “grave concern” over the deepening military partnership between the North and Russia, saying that they continue to work to pass the North Korea-Russia cooperation sanctions act.
“We look forward to working with you to stop North Korea from providing material support for Russia’s illegal and unprovoked war in Ukraine,” they said.
They, in addition, highlighted security commitments in t
he Washington Declaration, which President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to during their summit in April last year.
The commitments include the establishment of the Nuclear Consultative Group, a key mechanism designed to strengthen America’s extended deterrence commitment to using its full range of military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its Asian ally.
“These critical commitments underscore the importance of maintaining a ready posture for the ironclad alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea to confront any present and future threat,” they said.
They pledged to work together with the government and their colleagues in Congress to seek “every avenue” to “grow, deepen and strengthen” the alliance.
Source: Yonhap News Agency