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| ▲ President Yoon Suk Yeol (C) speaks during a luncheon meeting with reporters covering him at the presidential office in Seoul on May 2, 2023, in this photo released by his office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
(LEAD) Yoon-reporters
(LEAD) Yoon says S. Korea cannot help but rely on U.S. 'extended deterrence' due to China's inaction on N.K.
(ATTN: UPDATES with Yoon's remarks on China; CHANGES headline)
By Lee Haye-ah
SEOUL, May 2 (Yonhap) -- President Yoon Suk Yeol said Tuesday South Korea has no choice but to rely on the United States' extended deterrence as Beijing does not enforce U.N. sanctions on North Korea "at all."
Yoon made the remark after making a surprise appearance at a luncheon for reporters in the presidential compound. The luncheon was organized as part of a press tour of Yongsan Children's Garden, a park adjacent to the compound, which will open to the public on Thursday.
Yoon was asked by a reporter if he anticipated the degree of China's complaints about his agreement with U.S. President Joe Biden last week to introduce new measures to strengthen U.S. extended deterrence toward South Korea, or Washington's commitment to mobilizing all of its military capabilities, including nuclear, to defend its ally.
"If they want to take issue with us and criticize us for adopting the Washington Declaration and upgrading our security cooperation to one that is nuclear-based, they should reduce the nuclear threat or at least abide by international law and stick to U.N. Security Council sanctions against the nuclear threat," he said, referring to the declaration outlining the new extended deterrence measures.
"If they don't take part at all in the sanctions against violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions, what do they want us to do? We're left with no choice," he said.
North Korea is under a raft of U.N. sanctions over its testing of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles in violation of Security Council resolutions.
Yoon also shared his thoughts about marking his first year in office next week.
"Through the criticism and the encouragement, it's already been a year," Yoon said as he addressed the more than 150 reporters gathered.
"I plan to reflect on things like how much and in what ways our country and society have changed, to what extent it's become more lively and warm, able to give dreams to our future generations, become more just and fair, and secured our security and our society's safety," he said.
Over the next year, Yoon said he plans to speed up in areas where change is slow, and make adjustments in areas where the direction of change needs adjustment.
Yoon will mark his first year in office on May 10.
He recalled that in his first months in office, he met with reporters on a near-daily basis as he took questions on his way to work.
The Q&A sessions were suspended in November after an MBC reporter clashed with a presidential official for shouting a question at the president's back.
"Aren't you a bit sorry now that we don't meet? I started to gain weight," he joked.
Yoon said his habit of waking up early in the morning to prepare for the Q&As stuck with him and he still gets up early to read the morning's newspapers and ask questions to his staff.
"I am sure I fell short in many areas, but I hope you will help me," he told the reporters.
On marking his first year in office, Yoon said he will think about holding a press conference, but that he has told his staff not to make the day a celebration of what his administration has achieved.
"If it's a press meeting where I can just talk with you over beer, that's a different story, but if it's about handing out releases and boasting, that wouldn't be a courtesy to the people," he said.
(END)
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