강경화 "日조치, 한미일 협력에 바람직 안해"…폼페이오 이해 표명

South Korea's foreign minister spoke on the phone with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo about recent Seoul-Tokyo tensions.
The minister voiced concerns, while Pompeo promised close communication with Washington's two core Asian allies.
Our Kim Mok-yeon tells us more.
Speaking on the phone to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, South Korea's foreign minister Kang Kyung-wha expressed concern over Japan's new export restrictions, claiming that they not only harm South Korean companies, but will also disrupt the global supply chain.
Kang said the measures are not helpful to cooperative relations between Seoul and Tokyo... or to trilateral ties with Washington.
Furthermore, she said, they could hurt American companies and the global trade order.
In response, Pompeo said he understands Seoul's position and promised to work to strengthen America's diplomatic communication with its two core Asian allies.
But an expert on diplomacy says its unlikely that Washington would actively step in, nor side with either country. Instead it would try to stop things from getting worse.
"The possibility of the U.S. siding with either one of its allies is low because it could threaten Washington's strategic interests in Asia. And in past cases, such as Seoul and Tokyo's territorial disputes over Dokdo, Washington has been a passive mediator."
Meanwhile, during their 15-minute phone call, Kang and Pompeo also touched on North Korea's denuclearization.
They agreed that last month's historic trilateral summit at the DMZ between the leaders of the two Koreas and the U.S. built a foundation for concrete talks on denuclearization, and they agreed to continue working to achieve their shared goal of complete denuclearization and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula
The two decided to continue their dialogue next month... on the sidelines of the ASEAN regional forum in Thailand.
Kim Mok-yeon, Arirang News.