S. Korea, U.S. remain committed to N.K. denuclearization despite omission from call readouts: Seoul

Seoul's foreign ministry has reaffirmed South Korea and the United States' commitment to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, despite the term not being explicitly mentioned in the readouts of their recent phone call between Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio. The ministry's spokesperson, Park Do-sun, stated that the two countries remain dedicated to achieving peace, stability, and denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula, as outlined in their joint explanatory material from the November summit.

The U.S. State Department's spokesperson, Tommy Pigott, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the need for continued close coordination between the two nations on matters integral to the alliance. Questions have arisen regarding whether the Trump administration is reducing its focus on denuclearizing North Korea, as Trump plans to meet with Kim Jong-un later this year and has not confirmed if denuclearization remains his objective in engaging with Kim.

Additionally, the two countries scaled back their joint military exercises at Trump's request, seen as a gesture of goodwill towards Pyongyang.