November 30, 2022
In an exclusive interview with Reuters on November 28, Republic of Korea President Yoon Suk-yeol discussed the possibility of North Korea conducting a nuclear test, security across the Taiwan Strait, regional cooperation, and other issues. With regard to rising tensions across the Taiwan Strait, President Yoon emphasized that any conflict should be resolved in accordance with international norms and rules and that the ROK resolutely opposes unilateral attempts to change the status quo. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) affirms and sincerely welcomes President Yoon’s firm opposition to unilateral changes to the status quo.
Since the US-ROK Summit in May 2021, the ROK government has publicly reiterated the importance of preserving peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait at numerous international events. In response to military threats arising from China’s large-scale live-fire drills in the waters and airspace around Taiwan this August, the ROK and many other like-minded nations stressed the importance of cross-strait peace and stability. On November 13, during the 17th East Asia Summit, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and President Yoon issued a joint statement reaffirming the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community.
Taiwan and the ROK are both important members of the Indo-Pacific community and face military threats from autocratic regimes. At this critical juncture in time when authoritarian countries are brazenly challenging the international order, Taiwan is willing to work closely with like-minded nations and align with international resolutions to jointly safeguard the rules-based order; counter authoritarian intimidation; and preserve peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait, the Korean Peninsula, and the Indo-Pacific region.