USA TODAY International Edition
Pence vows support for Seoul after North’s ‘ provocation’
Vice president meets U. S. troops as he starts Asian tour
U. S. resolve to support and defend South Korea is unwavering “in these troubled times,” Vice President Pence said Sunday after arriving in Seoul, hours after a North Korean missile test that Pence described as a “provocation.”
On Monday morning, Pence went to Camp Bonifas near the Demilitarized Zone ( DMZ) that separates North and South Korea for a briefing with military leaders and to meet with American troops stationed at the joint U. S.South Korean military base just outside the 2.5- mile- wide DMZ.
Earlier, Pence spoke at an Easter event for American troops at the U. S. Army Garrison Yongsan in Seoul, but his audience was a global one.
“This morning’s provocation from the North is just the latest reminder of the risks each one of you face every day in the defense of the freedom of the people of South Korea and the defense of America in this part of the world,” Pence said. “In these troubled times, in this part of the world, your courage and your valor still amazes the American people.”
His comments came after North Korea had launched a medium- range missile that “blew up almost immediately,” the U. S. military said. The missile was launched from Sinpo, on North Korea’s east coast. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis issued a brief statement saying President Trump and “his military team are aware of North Korea’s most re- cent unsuccessful missile launch. The president has no further comment.”
Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, Trump’s national security adviser, said Sunday on This Week, “There’s an international consensus now — including the Chinese and the Chinese leadership — that this is a situation that just can’t continue.”
Meanwhile, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and U. S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson “exchanged views on the situation on the Korean peninsula” by phone after the launch, the Chinese news agency Xinhua reported.
China is North Korea’s closest ally, and Trump has expressed irritation that the North’s primary trading partner has failed to curb North Korean President Kim Jong Un’s development of nuclear weapons and missile technology. On Sunday, Trump made a passing reference to North Korea in a tweet about China.
“Why would I call China a currency manipulator when they are working with us on the North Korean problem?” Trump tweeted. “We will see what happens!”
Trump has sent an armada of ships and submarines to the area, led by the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson. The U. S. and South Korea also have been conducting their annual joint military exercises, a massive operation involving hundreds of thousands of troops. The exercises have drawn wrath from Kim. North Korea’s Foreign Ministry released a statement Friday warning that thermo- nuclear war may break out any moment.”
Kim has tried to show his own military strength in recent days, with mixed results. The failed launch came a day after tens of thousands of North Korean soldiers goose- stepped in a parade through the capital of Pyongyang that featured missiles and other hardware.
Pence’s visit to South Korea opened a 10- day Asian tour that will include stops in Tokyo, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Sydney. After landing in Seoul, Pence visited the Seoul National Cemetery, participating in a wreath ceremony. Then it was off to visit with the U. S. troops.
“Our commitment to this historic alliance with the courageous people of South Korea has never been stronger,” Pence said. “And with your help, and with God’s help, freedom will ever prevail on this peninsula.”