Seoul, Nov 14 (IANS): South Korea's Unification Minister Kim Yung-ho stated on Thursday that the alliance between his country and the United States will remain steadfast under the US administration of President-elect Donald Trump, and the trilateral partnership involving Japan will also remain unwavering.

Unification Minister Kim made the remarks during his welcome speech given at an opinion leaders' discussion held at Yonsei University in Seoul, about a week after Trump was elected to his second presidential term on platforms including his "America First" vision for foreign affairs, Yonhap news agency reported.

"Despite the change in political leadership, the strong South Korea-U.S. alliance, which has endured for 71 years, will not waver," Kim said in his speech, read by Vice Minister Kim Soo-kyung.

"As the two nations have shared core values such as freedom and human rights for a long time and are progressing toward common goals of peace and prosperity, their partnership will further solidify," the minister noted.

Kim also said the trilateral partnership involving Japan, established during the Camp David summit in August 2023 among the leaders of the three nations, will also remain steadfast under the second Trump term, calling it a "cornerstone" for Korean unification and regional peace.

The minister also pledged that the government will work more thoroughly toward Korean unification, seeking solidarity and support from the international community for a democracy-based, free unification.