Seoul dismisses 'passing' fears after denuclearization omitted from US talks

South Korea's Foreign Ministry on Monday sought to quell concerns that denuclearization was absent from recent talks between its top diplomat and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. The ministry asserted that the denuclearization of North Korea is a shared and unwavering objective for both Seoul and Washington.

The clarification comes amid speculation that the U.S. might be considering lowering denuclearization requirements to facilitate a summit with North Korea, potentially excluding South Korea from the process. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Do-hoon stated at a press briefing that both nations consistently uphold the goal of peace, stability, and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, as outlined in a joint statement from a November summit. He added that related discussions took place during the recent call between the foreign ministers.

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North Korea's denuclearization is a consistent goal and position of both the ROK and the U.S.

However, the joint press release following the call between South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Blinken mentioned maintaining a "strong ROK-U.S. combined defense posture" and continuing "close communication and cooperation" for peace and resolving the North Korean nuclear issue, but conspicuously omitted the term "denuclearization." This contrasts with a previous joint press release after a trilateral meeting with Japan in July, which did mention denuclearization. The U.S. State Department's readout also focused on "dialogue on various alliance issues" and the need for "close cooperation on key alliance matters," without specifically referencing denuclearization.

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The ROK and the U.S. consistently uphold the goal of peace, stability, and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula.

This omission has fueled questions about whether denuclearization was discussed at all. Go Yu-hwan, an emeritus professor of North Korean studies at Dongguk University, suggested that while the ultimate goal of complete denuclearization remains, the phrasing might reflect the current difficult realities. He speculated that the language could have been softened to avoid provoking North Korea as part of efforts to create an atmosphere for potential North Korea-U.S. talks.

The South Korean government's stance appears aimed at dispelling fears of being sidelined by the U.S. in negotiations with North Korea and emphasizing Seoul's role. These concerns have been amplified by recent signals from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has hinted at accepting North Korea as a nuclear state, and a critical statement from North Korean official Kim Yo-jong towards the South Korean government. Some observers speculate that the U.S. might be willing to tolerate limitations on North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capabilities in exchange for concessions on its own security interests.

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The ROK and the U.S. are pursuing North Korea policy in close cooperation to achieve these goals, and related discussions took place during this ROK-U.S. foreign ministers' call.

The recent South Korea-U.S. foreign ministerial call was reportedly initiated by the South Korean government. Seoul likely sought to gauge the progress of inter-Korean dialogue and understand the conditions the U.S. is considering for a potential North Korea-U.S. summit. Experts advise that while cooperating with the U.S. on facilitating a North Korea-U.S. meeting, South Korea must also ensure its voice is reflected through consistent communication between the two countries' foreign policy establishments. Lee Byong-chul, a professor at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at Kyungnam University, emphasized that the government should strongly convey the importance of the ROK-U.S. alliance and South Korea's role to the U.S., aiming for the goals of prioritizing a halt and freeze in North Korean nuclear activities.

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The ROK and the U.S. are maintaining close cooperation on key alliance matters.