Seoul plays down prospects for separate US-Korea consultative body on N. Korea

Kevin Kim (right), chargé d’affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, and First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo attend the inaugural Korea-US Diplomatic Forum, which marked the launch of the Korea-US Parliament Union, at Lotte Hotel in central Seoul on Nov. 20 (Yonhap)
Kevin Kim (right), chargé d’affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in Seoul, and First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo attend the inaugural Korea-US Diplomatic Forum, which marked the launch of the Korea-US Parliament Union, at Lotte Hotel in central Seoul on Nov. 20 (Yonhap)

South Korea and the United States are moving to regularize their coordination talks on North Korea policy, as the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to push the Korean Peninsula peace process into gear next year, according to the Foreign Ministry in Seoul.

"South Korea and the US have been maintaining close communication and coordination on the overall scope of North Korea policy," Park Il, spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry, said at a press briefing Tuesday.

“Discussions have been underway for several months at the working level regarding a plan to hold regular bilateral policy coordination meetings. At such meetings, the two sides plan to discuss the overall North Korea policy, including ways to engage with North Korea.”

The Korea Herald learned from government sources that Seoul and Washington share the view that regular consultations are now imperative, in addition to the ad hoc coordination on North Korea policy the allies have long maintained.

However, the US and South Korea are still in discussions over the format for regularizing their coordination talks on North Korea policy, as well as the frequency and composition of participants for the meetings, a Foreign Ministry official told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.

Asked whether Seoul and Washington plan to establish a separate standing consultative body on North Korea policy coordination, such as the South Korea-US working group under the Moon Jae-in administration, the official said that was not the intent.

“It should instead be understood as an effort to make the ad hoc consultations we have had more regular,” the official said.

Another Foreign Ministry official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that such regular consultations have become more necessary as the Lee administration prepares to push its peace process.

“Starting next year, the government’s basic policy is to undertake additional and strengthened diplomatic efforts aimed at improving inter-Korean relations and advancing the Korean Peninsula peace process,” the official said. “Within the broader context, South Korea and the US will continue to communicate closely.”

Tuesday’s announcement came amid local media reports pointing to differences between Seoul and Washington over North Korea policy, including US concerns over Unification Minister Chung Dong-young’s repeated calls to adjust the scale or schedule of regular combined military exercises as leverage to revive long-stalled dialogue with North Korea.

One media outlet reported that US acting Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim directly urged maintaining sanctions during his November meeting with Chung to preserve negotiating leverage over Pyongyang, although the Unification Ministry on Tuesday dismissed the report as inaccurate.


dagyumji@heraldcorp.com