In the Press
Nat'l Assembly speaker urges 'balanced diplomacy' at Yonhap peace forum
- Jul 10, 2024
- 53
SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korea should seek "balanced" diplomacy in the face of intensifying inter-Korean tensions and military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-Shik said Friday.
Woo made the remark during an annual peace symposium organized by Yonhap News Agency and co-hosted by the unification ministry to discuss the changing security environment, including a recently signed treaty between Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
"The Korean Peninsula is a region where an accidental clash can escalate into a regional war and a regional war can develop into a full-scale war," he said. "We must not sabotage the 'balanced diplomacy' all the previous administrations have maintained."
He noted that the South Korean government's mention of reconsidering supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine will need consent from parliament.
"The provision of weapons or military alliances require consent and ratification from the National Assembly," he said.
Highlighting dialogue as the only "safety valve" left after the two Koreas scrapped a 2018 military agreement aimed at easing tensions, he also said inter-Korean talks are essential to prevent misunderstandings and potential conflicts.
julesyi@yna.co.kr
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[Photo] Rep. Woo Won-shik gives an acceptance speech after being elected as the inaugural speaker of the newly launched 22nd National Assembly during its first plenary session in Seoul, in this file photo taken June 5, 2024. (Yonhap)
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