"Korea-US Alliance Must Be Expanded to Counter China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea"

Amid diagnoses regarding the China-Russia-Iran-North Korea (CRINK) coalition, a recommendation was made to strengthen regular communication between the legislatures of South Korea and the United States to ensure the sustainability of the Korea-US alliance.

On the 26th, U.S. Representative Young Kim gave a video congratulatory speech at the 21st Jeju Forum session titled 'The Future of Korea-U.S. Cooperation and Parliamentary Diplomacy in an Era of Uncertainty,' held at the Haevichi Hotel in Jeju.

The 21st Jeju Forum session, titled "The Future of Korea-US Cooperation and Parliamentary Diplomacy in the Age of Uncertainty," was held on the 26th at the Haevichi Hotel in Jeju. The session was chaired by former First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Choi Jong-kun, and attended by Assemblywoman Lee Jaejeong of the Democratic Party, Assemblywoman Han Jia of the People Power Party, former US Assistant Secretary of State Susan Thornton, and Dewey Moore, Principal Officer at the US Consulate in Busan.

In a video address, US Congresswoman Young Kim described the cooperation among China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as an "evil alliance," stating, "Parliamentary diplomacy is essential to strengthening the Korea-US alliance." US Senator Andy Kim also emphasized in his video message, "Inter-parliamentary dialogue is more important than ever." Former Assistant Secretary Thornton noted, "We are now dealing with a much broader range of issues than in the past, including nuclear submarine construction projects, managing trade relations, and securing critical minerals."

There was also a consensus that parliamentary diplomacy has become increasingly important in reducing misunderstandings, in light of recent incidents such as the arrest of Korean workers in Georgia. Assemblywoman Han stated, "Parliamentary diplomacy involves conveying the sentiments of the people and addressing issues that are difficult for the administration to handle directly." Assemblywoman Lee added, "When the Korean public begins to doubt whether they can trust the United States, it is up to politicians to persuade them."

Former Assistant Secretary Thornton stressed, "It is important to call or hold video conferences before misunderstandings grow. I hope that a close communication system will be established between the two countries' legislatures going forward."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.