PN's Voice 98

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PN's Voice 98, 10.11.2016
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PN's Voice No. 98,  10. 11. 2016 
Small steps, Road to peace


Trump's Aide Assures Robust Ties with S. Korea

A close aide of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has assured that relations between South Korea and the U.S. will remain robust under his presidential term. Peter Hoekstra, Trump's foreign policy advisor, made the remark in a statement released through the Washington-based Korea Economic Institute(KEI) on Wednesday.

Hoekstra said Trump will continue the strong friendship between South Korea and the U.S., adding the two countries have "strong national security and economic ties." He said the two allies will build on that relationship to grow their economies “to the benefit of both countries.” He also said the two countries will “co-ordinate on national security concerns to deal with the evolving threats in the region,” adding the bilateral relationship is important and will continue to be to both sides. His words came as Trump's election raised concerns that the Seoul-Washington alliance will significantly weaken during his presidential term.

During his presidential campaign, Trump criticized that South Korea is not paying its fair share of costs to station U.S. Forces in Korea(USFK). He also indicated the possibility of renegotiating the Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, criticizing the pact as a job-killing deal.
Source : KBS News


N.K. vows not to give up Nukes as Trump Elected New U.S. President

North Korea said Thursday that it will stick to its nuclear weapons program as Republican Donald Trump is set to become the next president of the United States. North Korea's state media did not release comments on Trump's surprise victory. But the North, in what could be viewed as a warning message, made clear that the incoming administration will face a heavier burden in dealing with a nuke-armed North Korea.

"Washington's hope for North Korea's denuclearization is an outdated illusion," Rodong Sinmun, North Korea's main newspaper, said in a commentary. The newspaper condemned U.S. President Barack Obama's "strategic patience" policy with North Korea, saying that the policy has only left bigger burdens to his successor as Pyongyang has become a nuclear state. North Korea has claimed that it needs to develop and maintain a nuclear arsenal as a deterrence against what it calls Washington's hostile policy toward Pyongyang.

Trump has not clearly unveiled his vision for the North Korean policy, but he expressed his willingness to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un during his election campaign period. In June, North Korea's propaganda website hailed Trump's claim that South Korea should pay more for the upkeep of American troops on its soil. Experts said that North Korea may refrain from conducting another nuclear test or launching a long-range rocket until it can gauge the direction of Trump's North Korea policy.
Source : Yonhap News


Latest THAAD Article from Wook-sik Cheong

Lastly, please click the link below to access Peace Network's Director, Wook-sik Cheong’s latest column on the Obama administration’s attempt to rush the deployment of THAAD in South Korea:
Link to the article


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