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South Korea open to reviving North Korea talks, seeks progress on nuclear weapons

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

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  • South Korea supports US-led dialogue with North Korea but insists on progress regarding Pyongyang's nuclear weapons.
  • National security adviser Wi Sung-lac emphasized the need for coordination with the US to ensure Seoul is not sidelined and that talks yield substantive results.
  • The US has scaled back joint military drills with South Korea, signaling a willingness to engage with North Korea, while trilateral drills are planned for September.

South Korea is open to resuming dialogue with North Korea, provided it focuses on tangible progress in denuclearization and does not compromise the nation's security. National security adviser Wi Sung-lac stressed the importance of close coordination with the United States to ensure Seoul is not marginalized in these diplomatic efforts.

"One point to keep in mind is the need to coordinate with the United States to ensure that any resumption of US-North Korea dialog leads to substantive progress on the North Korean nuclear issue, alongside efforts to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula," Wi told reporters. He highlighted that policy coordination and communication between South Korea and the US are more critical than ever to achieve these objectives.

The remarks follow US President Donald Trump's decision to scale back major joint military drills between the US and South Korea. Trump cited Seoul's refusal to assist in the Iran conflict as a reason for reducing the drills, suggesting it sent a "wrong message" to North Korea. Trump has been actively seeking a new summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, following three meetings in 2018 and 2019.

Despite the potential for renewed dialogue, South Korea, Japan, and the United States are scheduled to conduct joint military drills from September 9 to 11. These exercises aim to test readiness against North Korea's missile and nuclear weapons threats. Wi also indicated that Seoul seeks to deepen cooperation with Washington on various issues that have sometimes caused friction, including South Korean investment in the US, trade practices, security cooperation, intelligence sharing, and the transfer of wartime operational control.

One point to keep in mind is the need to coordinate with the United States to ensure that any resumption of US-North Korea dialog leads to substantive progress on the North Korean nuclear issue, alongside efforts to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

— Wi Sung-lacSouth Korea's national security adviser explaining the country's stance on US-North Korea talks.
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Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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