Seoul's Dual Strategy: Why Deterrence and Diplomacy with Pyongyang Are Both Crucial

Cho delivered video remarks to a Washington-based forum on Wednesday (US time), as he commented on a recently released joint fact sheet on security and trade agreements between South Korea and the United States, which he described as having charted a path toward a "future-oriented, comprehensive strategic" alliance between the two countries.

Released on November 13, the fact sheet contains a series of the allies' deterrence efforts, including US President Donald Trump's support for Seoul's push to secure nuclear-powered, conventionally-armed submarines and Seoul's commitment to increasing defence spending to 3.5 per cent of its gross domestic product.

"Yet, deterrence must be paired with diplomacy," he said during the forum jointly hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the Korea Foundation. "We need to prevent inadvertent conflict, de-escalate tensions and restore dialogue with North Korea."

Both Seoul and Washington have expressed their willingness to resume dialogue with Pyongyang, but it remains uncertain whether the regime would accede to repeated dialogue overtures at a time when its reliance on Russia for food, fuel and other necessities has increased in recent years, reports Yonhap news agency.

The minister said that the fact sheet reaffirmed the "ironclad" nature of the bilateral alliance and aimed to strengthen peace while preparing for challenges ahead.

"At the heart of this partnership lies our shared commitment to peace and stability," he said. "Securing peace on the Korean Peninsula, therefore, remains the foundation of our joint endeavour."

Underlining a "pragmatism"-based diplomatic approach by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, Cho pointed out Seoul's "principled" approach to responding to the shifting geopolitical landscape, and stressed the importance of trilateral cooperation with Japan as "indispensable."

"Beyond the Korean Peninsula, we must also navigate a rapidly changing strategic landscape --- Russia's deepening ties with North Korea, China's growing influence and Japan's evolving strategic posture. All (of these factors) shape the environment we must navigate," he said.

"Korea aims to manage these shifts with a principled approach, reducing strategic risk while strengthening channels of cooperation in Northeast Asia."

He also vowed to continue to advance cooperation with China and Japan, including through a trilateral framework, despite a recent flare-up in tension between Beijing and Tokyo over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's remarks on Taiwan.

Another pillar of "alliance modernisation" concerns the two countries' strategic economic and technological partnership, the top diplomat said, pointing to a recently finalised bilateral trade and investment agreement.

"Korea and the US are poised to usher in a new era of industrial cooperation, advancing US manufacturing while opening new horizons for Korean firms," he said. "(The agreement) lays the foundation for expanded collaboration in shipbuilding, energy, biotechnology, artificial intelligence and quantum and more."

Equally important is the US decision to support Korea's efforts to secure uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing capabilities for peaceful purposes, as well as Trump's support for Seoul's push to build nuclear-powered submarines, he said.

"These steps will markedly strengthen our shared capabilities in next-generation energy, defence and shipbuilding," he said.

"For more than seven decades, the ROK-US alliance has evolved with the currents of history. Our leaders have a need to modernise the alliance in a future-oriented manner so that we meet the demands of a rapidly changing environment."

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- IANS