North Korea denuclearization missing from US readout as Trump pushes for Kim talks

U.S. officials failed to mention the denuclearization of North Korea in their readout of a phone call between South Korea and the United States' top diplomats, suggesting the White House is paving the way for renewed talks with Pyongyang. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio engaged in a phone conversation on Monday to address various bilateral matters, with both sides emphasizing the importance of close coordination between the allies.

Notably, however, the two governments diverged in their interpretation of discussions regarding North Korea. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho and Rubio reached an agreement to maintain the robust South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture while ensuring ongoing communication and coordination for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

Cho also assured Rubio that Seoul would strive to align U.S. President Donald Trump's recent messages to Pyongyang, aiming to resume U.S.-North Korea dialogue and contribute to peace in the region.