What did the presidents of the United States and South Korea say about North Korea in their first meeting?

According to a joint statement after the first meeting between President Biden and President Yoon, the US and South Korea agreed to strengthen measures to deter the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. North Koreaand expand cooperation in many fields, including security.

In a joint statement, the two countries agreed to hold discussions to expand the scope of joint exercises to counter the threat posed by North Korea, according to AFP.

Speaking at a joint press conference with President Biden on the same day, President Yoon said the two leaders are committed to the “complete denuclearization” of North Korea, and stressed that nothing is more important than a possibility. firm deterrence against North Korea.

US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol at a joint press conference in Seoul on May 21 Reuters

President Yoon said North Korea was ramping up its nuclear capabilities and said President Biden shared deep concerns about North Korea’s nuclear capabilities. Yoon added that the two leaders discussed when they could deploy fighter jets and bombers, according to Reuters.

On the other hand, the joint statement emphasized that the US and South Korea expressed concern about the situation Covid-19 in North Korea and made a new offer of assistance. President Yoon emphasized that the offer to help North Korea fight Covid-19 was made according to “humanitarian principles”, separate from political and military issues.

Also at the press conference, President Biden said the US has offered to provide a vaccine Covid-19 for North Korea, but received no response. Biden also said that any meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un would depend on whether Kim was “sincere”.

Both Mr. Biden and Yoon stressed that the US-ROK alliance needs to grow to not only deal with threats from North Korea but also keep the Indo-Pacific region “free and open”. and protect the global supply chain, according to Reuters.

According to the schedule, after leaving Korea, President Biden will visit Japan tomorrow, May 22. Like Japan, South Korea is seen as playing an important role in the US strategy to deal with China and maintain the region. Indo-Pacific free and open”, according to AFP.