South Korea Supports US North Korea Dialogue While Warning Against Sidelining

South Korean National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac stated on Friday that Seoul supports U.S. President Donald Trump's efforts to restart dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Wi emphasized that any resumption of talks must lead to substantive and tangible progress regarding the North Korean nuclear weapons issue and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. He stressed that close coordination between Washington and Seoul is more important than ever to ensure that South Korea is not sidelined in the process and that the country's security posture is not weakened.

Wi noted that President Trump has recently scaled back combined military exercises, which some interpret as a signal of his willingness to engage with Pyongyang. Despite this, South Korea continues to maintain military cooperation with the U.S. including joint exercises with Japan scheduled for early September to test readiness against nuclear and missile threats. Wi added that Seoul is working to build trust between the U.S. and North Korea to facilitate the resumption of dialogue.

Beyond security, Wi mentioned that Seoul and Washington are coordinating on several other issues, including intelligence sharing, the transfer of wartime operational control, and investments based on trade agreements. In separate remarks, Wi noted that he recently met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss joint preparations for President Lee Jae Myung's attendance at the APEC summit in Shenzhen this November, as well as resuming cooperation between South Korea, China, and Japan.