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First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo of South Korea (left) and acting US Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim attend the first Korea-US Diplomacy Forum, held at Lotte Hotel Seoul on Nov. 20, 2025. (Yonhap)

Acting US Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim stated that South Korea and the US should understand that the security challenges in both the Korean Peninsula and the wider region are “evolving,” and that “we must work together to address those common challenges” on Thursday.
 
Kim pointed specifically to “what has happened in the Yellow Sea recently,” explaining that the US approval for South Korean nuclear-powered submarines was given to “meet that challenge.” Such remarks indicate that the US is nudging South Korea to join its efforts to keep tabs on China.
 
“Our mutual prosperity also depends on a stable security environment,” Kim stated in his keynote address at the first Korea-US Diplomacy Forum. 

“Look no further than what has happened in the Yellow Sea recently,” Kim continued. “That is why President Trump and President Lee have agreed to modernize the US-ROK alliance, increase Korea’s defense spending, seek new capabilities such as nuclear-powered submarines to meet that challenge.”
 
Kim’s comment about “what happened in the Yellow Sea” appears to be a reference to several platforms that China has built without authorization in the provisional measures zone of the sea. 

These comments are in line with the remarks made by US Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Daryl Caudle, who stated that South Korea’s nuclear-powered submarines would be utilized to “counter China” during an earlier visit to Seoul.
 
Kim described South Korea as a “model ally” in the sense that it is “willing to spend on its own defense, [. . .] shoulder its own burdens, [and] continues to support an enduring American presence on the Korean Peninsula.”
 
Kim also mentioned the joint fact sheet on tariffs and security announced by South Korea and the US on Nov. 14, stating, “That historic document highlights the comprehensive nature of our relationship, touching every facet of the US-ROK alliance.”
 
“This is a simple recognition that America’s future depends on Korea, and Korea’s future depends on America,” he emphasized.
 
First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo also touched on the recent bilateral agreements in his keynote address. 

“South Korea and the US’ pursuit of practical cooperation projects included in the joint fact sheet will open a new chapter in our alliance by contributing to mutually beneficial economic development and the achievement of strong security,” Park said. 

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter

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