청와대 "평화협정 후에도 주한미군 필요, 북미회담 후보지 평양없어"
The Blue House says U.S. forces need to stay in South Korea... even if a peace treaty is eventually signed.
The spokesman for the Blue House was responding this morning to comments by President Moon's senior diplomatic adviser Moon Chung-in, who said Tuesday that the presence of U.S. troops would no longer be justified if the Korean War was formally ended.
Take a listen.
"President Moon said U.S. Forces in Korea is a matter concerning the South Korea-U.S. alliance. It has nothing to do with the signing of a peace treaty."
The Blue House also confirmed Presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok called the special adviser asking him to avoid remarks that could confuse the public about the president's position.
A high ranking Blue House official, who did not want to be named, asserted that the U.S. Forces' role as a mediator between nearby powers, such as China and Japan,... is critical.
The same official also said Pyongyang was not among the proposed North Korea-U.S. summit sites that President Moon and President Trump discussed on Saturday.