Noh Kyu-duk, right, Korea's chief nuclear envoy, and his U.S. counterpart Sung Kim announce the outcomes of their talks at a Seoul hotel, Monday. Yonhap

Envoy assures US commitment to Korean Peninsula amid Afghan chaos

By Kang Seung-woo

The United States made clear its commitment to inter-Korean humanitarian projects, Monday, a step forward from its previous stance, as South Korea is seeking to find a breakthrough in its ties with North Korea.

In addition, Washington also reaffirmed its commitment to the defense of South Korea, as the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is leaving Seoul anxious about whether it can trust its longtime ally.

The commitment came after Sung Kim, the U.S. special representative for North Korea, had talks with his South Korean counterpart Noh Kyu-duk in Seoul. Kim is on a four-day trip to Seoul ending Tuesday.

"We discussed possible humanitarian assistance to the DPRK," Kim said following his meeting with Noh. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official name of North Korea.

"I reaffirmed U.S. support for inter-Korean dialogue and engagement stipulated by the joint statement between our two leaders in May and will continue to render our support to inter-Korean humanitarian cooperation projects."

Noh went into further detail about the humanitarian assistance.

"South Korea and the U.S. discussed various areas of humanitarian cooperation with the North, including healthcare, quarantine against infectious diseases, drinking water and hygiene," Noh said.

"We also discussed humanitarian support to the North through international organizations and nongovernmental organizations."

Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic started to sweep the world early last year, the South Korean government has been reaching out to the North Korean regime offering humanitarian assistance as part of its efforts to get stalled inter-Korean relations back on track, but no progress has been made due to Pyongyang's lack of response.

"What is different from the previous U.S. stance is that Sung Kim talked about the U.S. support for inter-Korean humanitarian aid in more detail," said Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University.

"Although it did not mean that the U.S. will fully roll up its sleeves for the humanitarian assistance, he showed the U.S.'s determination toward South Korea helping its northern neighbor in humanitarian aid."

Following the U.S. troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan and consequent chaos in the country, questions have risen here whether the U.S. Forces Korea may leave the Korean Peninsula while North Korea still remains a threat.

Kim stepped up efforts to ease the concerns and growing doubts over the U.S. commitment to Korea, following remarks by U.S. President Joe Biden last week that allies like South Korea are fundamentally different from Afghanistan when it comes to U.S. security commitment.

"On the importance of the U.S.-Republic of Korea alliance, I cannot put it better than President Biden himself who called the U.S. commitment to defense of the ROK 'sacred.'" Kim said.

Park said, "Sung Kim's trip was also aimed at easing growing concerns here about the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea against North Korea in the wake of the crisis in Afghanistan."

However, the U.S. envoy came short of delivering a new message that would bring North Korea back to the negotiating table, instead repeating he was ready to meeting his North Korean counterpart anywhere and anytime, the same stance he shared two month ago during his first visit to Seoul as nuclear envoy.

On Tuesday, Noh plans to meet Igor Morgulov, who doubles as Russia's chief nuclear envoy and is visiting Korea for talks with his South Korean and U.S. counterparts. Kim reportedly called for Russia's full implementation of anti-North Korea sanctions and cooperation in resuming nuclear talks with the North.