South Korea should take action on Iran "as an important member of the international community" and help the United States send a message to the Middle Eastern country, the top U.S. diplomat in Seoul said Tuesday.
Speaking at a local forum on the future of the South Korea-U.S. alliance, Kathleen Stephens, the U.S. ambassador to Seoul, said South Korea should
view the issues of sanctioning Iran for its nuclear programs "from the point of view of its own position, as an important member of the international community."
"South Korea is a country that has its own interest in seeing a peaceful and stable Middle East," Stephens said, adding that she hopes the South will work with the U.S. and the rest of the international community in "delivering a very clear message to Iran."
"It's essential for responsible countries with global interests to send a unified message to the leaders of Iran that it must live up to its
international obligations," she said. "We must take affirmative steps toward denuclearization if we are to promote regional and international stability."
South Korea has been in a difficult position after the U.S. asked it earlier this month to adopt independent sanctions on Iran, on top of U.N. measures. Iran, in response, warned that South Korean sanctions would have adverse effects on Tehran-Seoul trade relations. Iran is South Korea's largest trading partner in the Middle East and their bilateral trade reached US$10 billion last year.
Stephens said she understands the South's economic interest in Iran, but pointed out that others with economic interests in the Middle Eastern country "have looked at broader concerns" and came to "speak with one voice on Iran."
The European Union, Australia and Japan have joined the U.S. in sanctioning Iran.
"We'd welcome the Republic of Korea's cooperation to encourage Iran's leaders to adopt a more constructive path," Stephens said.
Officials in Seoul have reportedly been seeking a solution that could be acceptable to both Washington and Tehran. South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Chun Yung-woo headed to the United States earlier Tuesday for consultations
on the issue.
Chun and the team of officials from the foreign ministry and the finance ministry are expected to meet with Robert Einhorn, a U.S. State Department official overseeing sanctions on North Korea and Iran, and other senior officials.