Delay in U.S.-South Korea Security Consultations, Officials Say “It’s Not a Red Flag”

A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that followup consultations between South Korea and the United States in the security field are being delayed, but that it is not a situation in which the security cooperation outlined in the joint explanatory materials is wavering. The official said at a press briefing in Manila, Philippines, on the 23rd that while no separate date has been set for the followup talks, both countries agree on the need to discuss them as soon as possible. However, the official said that setting a specific date could become a burden if the schedule is postponed due to circumstances on one side, so no concrete timetable was set. South Korea and the United States adopted a joint fact sheet in November last year that included South Korea's uranium enrichment, spent nuclear fuel reprocessing rights, and the purpose of introducing nuclearpowered submarines, and held their first followup consultation in Seoul last month. However, the schedule for the second meeting in Washington, D.C. has not yet been finalized. The official also mentioned as reasons for the delay in the consultations the schedule for U.S. investment, the U.S. response to the Middle East and Ukraine, and domestic and foreign issues facing the United States, including the November midterm elections. It was reported that Foreign Minister Cho Hyun also met with U.S. officials in Manila and asked that related security consultations be advanced as soon as possible and communication be strengthened to resolve various pending issues.