On April 29,  Republic of Korea President Yoon Seok-yeol concluded his visit to the U.S., where the U.S. and South Korea agreed on the Washington Declaration, causing great concern among the academic community. Maria Elena Alvarez, a professor at Cuban Institute of International Relations said in an interview with CMG that the U.S.-ROK approach aims to increase its presence and status in the region, which will lead to increased tensions on the peninsula and plunge regional peace into greater instability.