[USFK Forums] Seoul's Envoy to China Hails Korea-U.S. Alliance [Chosun]

[C. Y. Lee]

Uploaded by C. Y. Lee on Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Seoul's Envoy to China Hails Korea-U.S. Alliance

The Chosun Ilbo, Tuesday, February 21, 2006

South Korea's Ambassador to China Kim Ha-joong, the country’s longest-serving envoy there, has stressed the importance of the Korea-U.S. alliance as Beijing is increasingly regarded as a more important partner.

Currently in Seoul to take part in an annual gathering of the country's senior diplomats abroad, Kim made the remarks at a press conference on Monday. Responding to a question about giving greater “strategic flexibility” to the U.S. Forces Korea, Kim said, “Even though I am an ambassador to China, I would say that it is certain that Korea and the U.S. are allies, and as such the bilateral relationship is far stronger than other relationships, which allows us to agree on strategic flexibility.”

He said China has not so far mentioned the controversial move to allow the USFK to be deployed in trouble sports elsewhere. “In my opinion China may understand that the Korea-U.S. alliance is very special, having lasted for more than 50 years,” he added.

Kim said Seoul’s relationship with Beijing was in very good shape but added, “There are still plenty of political and ideological differences. It is going to take a long time for the Korea-China relationship to evolve similarly to the Korea-U.S. relationship politically.”

Turning to a U.S. campaign to slap a financial sanction on North Korea’s illegal activities, Kim said Macau authorities gave investigators from Washington the results of their own investigation into the Banco Delta Asia, which the U.S, says was Pyongyang’s main money-laundering channel. “The Chinese government is waiting for the result of the U.S. team’s investigation, which may take several weeks to come,” he sad.

The envoy said he was given no official explanation why North Korean leader Kim Jong-il undertook a recent secretive visit to China. “I think Kim wanted to see for himself the remarkable development the Chinese economy has achieved and will think hard about how to use what he learned in the North and to what extent to put those lessons into practice,” he said.

The ambassador predicted Chinese foreign currency reserves will exceed US$1 trillion this year. Asked about a Korea pop-culture craze on the mainland, Kim said, “The Chinese Ministry of Culture says on average 100 million Chinese watch Korean soap operas in the evening. And 100-130 million Chinese watched ‘Daejanggeum (Jewel in the Palace),’” the Korean historical miniseries that has swept the continent.

Kim has served as ambassador to China since 2001. “The U.S. Ambassador has been there seven years, the Japanese six-and-a-half, and the former North Korean nine-and-a-half. I’m still a mid-level diplomat in this regard,” he added.

(englishnews@chosun.com)


url: http://english.chosun.com/w21data/ht...602130029.html