US, South Korea to launch strategic dialogue
(AFP)
Updated: 2006-01-11 09:56

The United States and South Korea will launch their first ministerial strategic dialogue next week on a wide range of issues, the State Department said.

The talks were agreed to by President George W. Bush and President Roh Moo-hyun during their summit at the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum in South Korea in November.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will host South Korea's Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon for the inaugural session of the so-called Strategic Consultations for Allied Partnership on January 19, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.

"Topics of discussion will include global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual concern," he said.

"The strategic consultations reflect the dynamic global partnership we have developed with the Republic of Korea and consolidate the strong bilateral cooperation that we have long shared," McCormack said.

Efforts to end North Korea's nuclear weapons drive and the readjustment of the traditional American-South Korean military alliance are expected to be among key topics of the discussions, analysts say.

The United States and South Korea have substantial disagreements on how to end the nuclear crisis in the Korean peninsula.

Moves to resume six-party talks aimed at wooing Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear weapons ambition in return for diplomatic and security guarantees and energy aid have stalled after Washington imposed financial sanctions on North Korea over alleged illicit financial activities.

South Korea is a key Asian ally of the United States, which so far is engaged in ministerial strategic talks with Japan, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

The United States is in the process of reducing its forces in South Korea from 37,000 to 25,000 by 2008 and withdrawing them from the border with North Korea to bases south of Seoul.

It is also seeking "strategic flexibility" to deploy its Korea-based forces elsewhere in times of need.

The wartime operational rights accorded to the United States by South Korea have been the backbone of bilateral security ties since the 1950-53 Korean War, when the United States led an international force which repelled an invasion by North Korea.