SEOUL, May 22 (Reuters) – US President Joe Biden in Seoul, before leaving for Japan as part of his first trip to Asia as president, had a simple message to North Korean Kim Jong Un: “Hello … period.” he told reporters on the last day of his visit to South Korea on Sunday.
Biden said he was “not worried” about North Korea’s new nuclear tests, which will be the first in nearly five years.
But his ironic response to a question about his message to Kim underscored the administration’s restrained approach to unresolved tensions with North Korea. This is in stark contrast to the ostentatious threats, summits and “love letters” of former President Donald Trump with Kim.
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However, none of the presidents’ approach led to a major breakthrough, and North Korea resumed tests of its largest intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) as intelligence reports indicate it is preparing for a new nuclear test.
“We are ready for everything North Korea has done,” Biden said.
A day earlier, Biden and his new South Korean counterpart, President Yun Suk-yol, agreed to consider larger military exercises and the potential deployment of more US nuclear weapons in the region in response to North’s weapons tests. Read more
North Korea has not responded to U.S. initiatives, including proposals for vaccines against COVID-19, Biden said on Saturday, noting that he is ready to sit down with Kim if he believes this will lead to a major breakthrough. Read more
COVID-19 restrictions could play a role in North Korea’s lack of response, a senior US official said.
North Korea has said U.S. actions are dishonest because Washington maintains “hostile policies” such as military exercises and sanctions.
Asked if Biden was ready to take concrete steps to get out of the stalemate, the official said the administration was looking for a serious commitment, not grandiose gestures.
“This is a decision that only the DPRK can make,” the official said, using the initials of North Korea’s official name.
REGIONAL TEAM BUILDING
Biden’s focus during the trip was on uniting “like-minded” democracies to cooperate more, as part of a broader effort to counter China’s growing influence and put pressure on Russia over its war in Ukraine.
In the second phase of the trip, Biden will meet with the leaders of Japan, India and Australia, a group known as the Quartet, another cornerstone of his strategy to repel China’s growing influence.
Yun expressed interest in working more closely with Quad, but the US official said adding Seoul to the group was not being considered.
“It’s natural … to think about ways you can work with other democracies with unanimity, but I think it’s also important to recognize that the goal right now is to develop and build on what’s already outlined.” said an official.
Tokyo will also see on Monday the launch of Biden’s long-awaited Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), a program designed to bind regional states more closely through common standards in areas such as supply chain sustainability, clean energy, infrastructure and digital technology trade.
The US official declined to say which countries could join the IPEF, but said he was pleased with “very strong interest” in the entire region to participate.
Before leaving for Japan, Biden met with the chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, which announced on Sunday that it would invest $ 5 billion in the United States by 2025 to strengthen cooperation with US companies in various technologies such as robotics. urban air mobility, autonomous driving and artificial intelligence. Read more
Biden also had to tour a U.S. military base with Yun.
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Report by Josh Smith and Trevor Hanniat Edited by Nick Zieminski and Gary Doyle
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