The United States and the Republic of Korea: Dialogues on the Relationship
May 4, 2007
The U.S. point man on the Six Party Talks told a large audience at SAIS on May 4 that the DPRK may shut down its plutonium-producing nuclear reactor, disable it and launch discussions of its much-disputed secret uranium program by the end of this calendar year.
The projections of Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill were a prominent feature of the forum jointly sponsored by the State Department and the U.S.-Korea Institute. Although expressing frustration about the "real tough" financial issues that have delayed North Korean compliance with the February 13 six-nation denuclearization accord, Hill said he is persuaded that the communist nation is not deliberately stalling. He said Pyongyang officials have communicated to the United States, China and others their commitment to implement fully the February accord once the outstanding financial issues are settled.
Hill spoke extensively about U.S. relations with the ROK as well as the nuclear problems with the DPRK before an audience of more than 100 people and 16 television cameras and over 40 journalists in the school’s Kenney Auditorium. Veteran staff members said it was the largest press turnout of any SAIS event in their memory. Read the transcript.
Listen or download audio of Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill's comments.
Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler, the chief U.S. negotiator of the recent Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, said “three letters sum up the vibrant relationship of the United States and the Republic of Korea, FTA.” She described the very challenging issues facing the trade negotiators in the final 72 hours before agreement was reached at the beginning of April. The biggest U.S. disappointment, Cutler said, was inability to reach agreement on Korean imports of U.S. rice but nevertheless, the agreement was "balanced" and of "high quality." Read the transcript.
Listen or download audio of Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler's comments.
Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless, the Pentagon’s point man on Northeast Asia security, said the governments in both Washington and Seoul understand that their alliance is in “a period of transition.” He spoke as U.S. forces are being reduced from 37,000 to today’s 28,000 headed down to a limit of 25,000 troops. Because of improved deployments and equipment, he said, the smaller force is actually “more capable” that the larger force that previously was stationed on the peninsula. Discussing several controversial issues including the transfer of wartime operational control, Lawless predicted that the further along the U.S.-ROK military transition is, the “the more comfortable the ROK is going to be” about its security. Read the transcript.
Listen or download audio of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense Richard Lawless' comments and the event's question and answer session.
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For a press account of the forum by the AP, please click here.
For a press account of the forum by Yonhap News, please click here.
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