President Donald Trump recently welcomed President Moon Jae-in of South Korea to the White House, where both leaders reiterated their support for the U.S.-South Korean comprehensive strategic alliance.
Since its founding, the alliance has served as a linchpin for security, stability, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Asia Pacific region. President Trump reaffirmed that the United States will defend South Korea against any attack and both presidents remain committed to jointly addressing the threat posed by North Korea, drawing on the full range of United States military capabilities, both conventional and nuclear.
The two leaders reaffirmed the alliance’s commitment to counter the growing threat to peace and security posed by North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
President Trump and President Moon pledged to continue to coordinate to achieve the shared goal of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in a peaceful manner.
The U.S. and South Korea continue to call on North Korea to refrain from provocative and destabilizing actions, and to fulfill its international obligations and commitments. The two leaders affirmed that North Korea’s nuclear tests and unprecedented number of ballistic missile tests constitute direct violations of multiple United Nations Security Council Resolutions. The U.S. and South Korea remain committed to implementing existing sanctions and imposing new measures designed to apply maximum pressure on North Korea to cease its provocative actions and return to constructive talks.
The door to dialogue with North Korea remains open under the right circumstances. The United States and South Korea, together with the rest of the international community, stand ready to offer a brighter future for North Korea, if it chooses the right path.
The two leaders expressed deep concern about the well-being of the North Korean people, particularly in light of the egregious human rights violations and abuses committed against them by the government.
President Trump and President Moon heralded the strength of the United States-South Korea alliance to deter and defend against the North Korean threat.
