Seoul: South Korea and the United States conducted discussions to coordinate their North Korea policy based on a newly released summit document, as reported by the foreign ministry. This marks the first bilateral talks under the current administrations of both nations.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting took place amidst Seoul's efforts to improve inter-Korean relations and facilitate dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, despite North Korea's continuous refusal of engagement. However, the talks were overshadowed by a dispute between South Korea's foreign ministry and the unification ministry, which is responsible for inter-Korean affairs. The unification ministry expressed concerns that the talks might hinder the potential for restoring ties with Pyongyang.
The discussions were led by Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence at the foreign ministry, and acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim. They focused on ongoing bilateral issues related to the Korean Peninsula, following the joint fact sheet from the South Korea-U.S. summit. This document details agreements between President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump from their October 29 summit in Gyeongju.
The summit fact sheet outlines commitments to the complete denuclearization of North Korea, maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and implementing the 2018 joint statement from Trump's first summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. It emphasizes the importance of close coordination on North Korea policy and urges North Korea to resume dialogue and comply with international obligations regarding its weapons programs.
Despite these efforts, the unification ministry raised objections, fearing the foreign ministry-led talks could replicate the previous "working group" model from 2018-21, which some believed hindered South Korea's peace efforts with North Korea due to its emphasis on sanctions compliance.
The unification ministry chose not to participate in Tuesday's meeting, opting to hold separate discussions with the U.S. on North Korea policy as needed. Instead, it organized a briefing for foreign diplomats and officials from international organizations in Seoul, separate from the foreign ministry's efforts.
At a press briefing, the foreign ministry dismissed notions of discord between the two ministries, emphasizing their collaborative work on foreign and security issues. However, an official from the unification ministry acknowledged differing approaches but stressed the goal of ultimately presenting a unified position. The unification ministry plans to take a proactive role in inter-Korean dialogues and exchanges.