PDP and South Korean delegation members at the Kaesong Industrial Complex
Photo by: Deborah Gordon

Carter and Perry lead U.S. delegation to South Korea for Track II security dialogue

Press Release

February 22, 2007

Belfer Center Programs or Projects: International Security; Preventive Defense Project

Seoul, South Korea – From February 18-22, 2007, PDP Co-Directors Ashton B. Carter and William J. Perry led a U.S. delegation to the Republic of Korea to meet with prominent South Korean politicians, experts, and potential presidential candidates.

Carter and Perry were joined by former ROK-US Combined Forces Command/US Forces Korea General John Tilelli, Jr.; Dean of the Fletcher School and former Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Stephen Bosworth; President of Bell Labs at Alcatel-Lucent Jeong Kim, and PDP Associate Director Deborah Gordon.

This series of unofficial meetings allowed leaders from both countries to speak candidly and off-the-record about bilateral, regional, and global issues of concern to both countries. PDP led a similar delegation to South Korea and Japan in April 2005 to build confidence and increase trust between the United States and its allies, and the 2007 meeting provided an excellent forum for discussing key developments from the last two years, as well as the future of the U.S.-ROK alliance.

In Korea, the group met with Foreign Minister Song Min Soon, Chief ROK Negotiator in the Six Party Talks Chun Young Woo, National Assemblywoman and former GNP Leader Park Geun Hye, former Prime Minister Goh Kun, former ROK Ambassador to the United States Lee Hong Koo, presidential candidate and former Minister of Unification Chung Dong Young, leading presidential candidate and former Seoul Mayor Lee Myung Bak, now former presidential candidate and former Governor of Gyeonggi Province Sohn Hak Kyu, Seoul Forum for International Affairs President and former Foreign Minister Han Sung Joo, and PANTECH President B.Y. Park.

The PDP delegation also spoke with current American leaders in Korea, including UNC/CFC/USFK Commander General Burwell B. Bell, and U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Sandy Vershbow.

During the four day visit, participants underscored the importance of the U.S.-ROK alliance, discussed near- and long-term strategies for dealing with North Korea, and highlighted the need to strengthen both countries’ bilateral relationships with China and Japan.

American delegates noted that the alliance, hinged upon the U.S. military presence on the Korean Peninsula, is crucial for preserving peace and stability in East Asia. They reiterated that America’s commitment to the ROK will not wane as U.S. forces are relocated on the Peninsula, and emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong alliance as Korea prepares for the transfer of wartime operational command of ROK forces from CFC to ROK forces and both countries undergo changes in political leadership.

All welcomed last week’s agreement in the Six Party Talks, and the American delegates stressed the importance of synchronizing economic, financial, and political strategies of every party involved to address collective security concerns. PDP participants urged their South Korean colleagues to remain firm in their dealings with the North, noting that both carrots and sticks will likely be necessary to achieve complete denuclearization of the Peninsula.

Before departing, the PDP delegation paid an informal, informational visit to the Kaesong Industrial Region, a collaborative economic development project in the historically symbolic city located six miles north of the DMZ in North Korea, to learn more about this joint economic experiment between the two Koreas and its impact on opening the North Korean economy.

For more information about this publication please contact the PDP Associate Director at 617-495-1412.

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