U.S. President Donald Trump has expressed a willingness to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, sending a strong signal of interest. In light of this, the foreign ministers of South Korea and the United States have agreed to maintain close communication and cooperation, raising hopes for a resumption of dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea.
On August 25, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Minister Cho Hyun and Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a 30-minute phone call the previous day to discuss U.S.-South Korea relations and issues on the Korean Peninsula. The ministry stated that the two ministers agreed to continue close communication and cooperation to maintain a robust U.S.-South Korea joint defense posture while working towards peace on the peninsula and resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.
Minister Cho remarked, "We will do our utmost to ensure that President Trump's recent messages lead to a resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula."
Earlier, on August 16, Trump took to social media to express his discontent with the scale of U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises, stating, "Given that Chairman Kim and I have a very good relationship, I do not like that the U.S. has agreed to participate in joint military exercises with South Korea for a long time." He directed a significant reduction in the scale of these exercises.
The regular U.S.-South Korea joint exercise, known as the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS), which is designed for defense in case of emergencies, was concluded early on August 21. Following Trump's directive, the training period was shortened from 11 days to 5 days.
The Korean Conference of Religious Leaders (KCRP) issued a statement on the same day, acknowledging the importance of national security and defense capabilities to protect citizens. They expressed understanding of concerns regarding the adjustments to the joint military exercises.
However, they emphasized that true security is not achieved solely through military strength but is strengthened through efforts to prevent conflict, build trust, and create lasting peace. They called for the adjustments to the joint exercises to be seen as an opportunity to lower tensions on the peninsula, restore trust between the two Koreas, and restart the stalled inter-Korean dialogue.
Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young stated on August 21 regarding Trump's push for a U.S.-North Korea summit, "In a broader sense, we can see that a tectonic shift on the Korean Peninsula has begun with President Trump's actions."
To transition from the resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue to a peace regime, the role of the South Korean government is crucial. Kyungnam University visiting professor Cho Yong-geun appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and stated, "What is important now is U.S.-South Korea communication," advising that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Unification should work to clarify the desired outcomes of U.S.-North Korea dialogue.
A senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted, "It is necessary to maintain close communication on areas that require coordination between the U.S. and South Korea," adding that communication channels are functioning well.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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