US envoy: What PH says on North Korea matters

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte shares a light moment with US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim following their meeting at the Presidential Guest House in Davao City on March 27, 2017. (Presidential photo by ACE MORANDANTE)

Being one of the oldest allies of the United States in the region, the Philippines has a role to play in dealing with the growing tensions on the Korean peninsula becasue of the nuclear ambitions of North Korea, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim said on Wednesday.

“We believe that this is an issue that concerns the whole region so we expect that our friends in the region to also play a role in how we deal with this challenged posed by North Korea,” Kim told reporters.

“Given the close relationship between the US and the Philippines, given that this is the oldest alliance we have, given that the Philippines is a very important country in the region, I think what Philippines does (or) says matters,” he added.

The 56-year-old American diplomat is of Korean descent and once served as US special envoy for the six-nation talks on North Korea’s nuclear program.

“I think its only natural that President (Donald) Trump reached out to President (Rodrigo) Duterte to seek cooperation and support on our common approach to deal with this very difficult challenge presented by North Korea,” Kim said.

Duterte earlier in the week said he had called up Chinese President Xi Jinping “at the behest” of Trump for China “to do something” about the situation and about North Korean leader Kim Jung-un.

Duterte had earlier called on the US, China, Japan, and South Korea to exercise patience in dealing with the reclusive state of North Korea. /atm