Chronologies

US - Korea

Chronology from Sep 2015 to Dec 2015


: South Korea and Japan announce a surprise agreement on “comfort women,” to include an apology and official fund for victims. PM Abe calls President Park with a “sincere apology.” National Security Advisor Susan Rice offers strong US support.

: US and ROK hold the fifth high-level Disarmament and Nonproliferation Consultation meeting in Washington, DC.

: ROK and Japan hold a second round of working-level talks in as many months aimed at resolving the “comfort women” issue.

: Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) releases a discussion paper on Unified Korea and the Future of the US-South Korea Alliance.

: UN Security Council addresses DPRK human rights abuses, with December president US Ambassador Samantha Power urging referral of the DPRK to the International Criminal Court.

: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim hosts a trilateral meeting in Washington with ROK Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Peace and Security Affairs Hwang Joon-kook and Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Director-General for Asian and Oceanian Affairs Ishikane Kimihiro.

: US and ROK hold the 47th Security Consultative Meeting (SCM) in Seoul.

: President Park and PM Abe meet at the Blue House.

: South Korea-Japan-China Trilateral Summit is held at the Blue House.

: Defense Secretary Carter and ROK Defense Minister Han Min-koo visit the DMZ. US and ROK Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairs Gen. Joseph Dunford and Gen. Lee Sun-jin hold the annual ROK-US Military Committee Meeting (MCM).

: ROK Navy holds a fleet review in Busan, with participation by the US aircraft carrier the USS Ronald Reagan.

: President Park names Kim Kyou-hyun senior secretary to the president for foreign affairs and security and Cho Tae-yong first deputy director of national security.

: President Park visits Washington for a summit with President Barack Obama. A Joint Statement condemns North Korea’s nuclear development and human rights abuses.

: DPRK marks the 70th anniversary of the Korean Workers Party.

: Congressional Research Service (CRS) issues report on US-South Korea Relations.

: US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Subcommittee on East Asia, the Pacific and International Cyber security hosts testimony on Assessing the North Korea Threat and US Policy: Strategic Patience for Effective Deterrence?

: Harvard’s Korea Institute hosts former US ambassadors to Korea Stephen Bosworth, Kathleen Stephens, and Sung Kim at the 10th Kim Koo Foundation Forum.

: US Secretary of State John Kerry, ROK Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, and Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida Fumio meet on the sidelines of the UNGA.

: DPRK Foreign Minister Ri Su Yong attends the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA).

: President Park visits New York to deliver four addresses at the UN, including a keynote on the 70th anniversary of the UN General Assembly and speeches on health and rural development. Park meets with Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo on the sidelines and hosts a dinner for individuals from New York-based nongovernmental organizations.

: US and ROK conduct ninth Korea-US Integrated Defense Dialogue (KIDD) in Seoul.

: CNN interviews DPRK scientists at Pyongyang’s General Satellite Control Center.

: US Special Representative for North Korea Policy Sung Kim visits South Korea.

: US and ROK Marines conduct combined exercises in northern Gyeonggi Province.

: ROK President Park Geun-hye attends a bilateral meeting in Beijing and is featured alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin at a military parade marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

Date Range