SOUTH KOREA: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell tells reporters in Seoul the UN Security Council is in "intense deliberations" over North Korea's rocket launch

Record ID: 187214

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell tells reporters in Seoul the UN Security Council is in "intense deliberations" over North Korea's rocket launch
  • Date: 16th January 2013
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JANUARY 16, 2013) (REUTERS) *CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE KURT CAMPBELL AND HIS TEAM ENTERING LOBBY AT SEOUL'S FOREIGN MINISTRY AND SHAKING HANDS WITH U.S. EMBASSY OFFICIALS CAMPBELL TEAM WALKING TOWARDS ELEVATOR CAMPBELL TEAM GETTING IN ELEVATOR (TO HAVE A MEETING WITH VICE FOREIGN MINISTER KIM KYOU-HYUN) CAMPBELL APPEARING AFTER MEETING WITH KIM CAMPBELL AND JOURNALISTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE KURT CAMPBELL SAYING: "We are in the midst of really rather intense deliberations in New York in the Security Council led by our Ambassador Rice. We are in very close consultation with South Korean government about those deliberations. I think we have their understanding about the way forward and I think you will see more developments in the days ahead." JOURNALISTS CAMPBELL LISTENING TO QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE KURT CAMPBELL SAYING: "We are in very detailed conversations with all the key players including China, Russia, many key players in Europe and in Asia as a whole." JOURNALIST ASKING QUESTION CAMPBELL LISTENING QUESTION (SOUNDBITE) (English) U.S. ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE KURT CAMPBELL SAYING: "I think there is a very strong determination in South Korea to make sure that relations between South Korea and Japan are positive, going forward. We support that. We have great confidence in the leadership in both Japan and South Korea to recognise it as the strongest, best interests for both countries to maintain that positive trajectory going forward." JOURNALISTS CAMPBELL LEAVING
  • Embargoed: 31st January 2013 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Korea, Republic of
  • Country: South Korea
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA8U9SQEQMWYP8TBL9UR3SY3CJE
  • Story Text: U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell told reporters in Seoul on Wednesday (January 16) his country is in the middle of "intense deliberations" at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) over how to deal with North Korea's rocket launch in December.

    "We are in the midst of really rather intense deliberations in New York in the Security Council led by our Ambassador Rice. We are in very close consultation with the South Korean government about those deliberations. I think we have their understanding about the way forward and I think you will see more developments in the days ahead," said Campbell after a meeting with South Korea's Vice Deputy Minister Kim Kyou-hyun.
    His trip came as the United States, South Korea, Japan and their European allies were pushing at the United Nations to expand long-standing U.N. Security Council sanctions on North Korea after the North's rocket launch on December 12.

    "We are in very detailed conversations with all the key players including China, Russia, many key players in Europe and in Asia as a whole," added Campbell.
    U.S. President Barrack Obama sent its top Asian diplomacy and security officials to South Korea and Japan to calm tensions between two U.S. allies whose squabbling has frustrated efforts to deal with a troublesome North Korea and an increasingly assertive China.
    The Japan-South Korea dispute intensified in August when President Lee Myung-bak became the first South Korean leader to set foot on islands claimed by both countries but controlled by Seoul. They are known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan.
    Campbell said he thinks both countries have been trying to improve relations.

    "I think there is a very strong determination in South Korea to make sure that relations between South Korea and Japan are positive, going forward. We support that. We have great confidence in the leadership in both Japan and South Korea to recognise it as the strongest, best interests for both countries to maintain that positive trajectory going forward," said Campbell.
    Campbell was accompanied by U.S. Assistant secretary of Defense Mark Lipport and National Security Council Senior Director for Asian Affairs Daniel Russel.
    He is expected to leave South Korea later on Wednesday for Japan.
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