South Korea pledges to help Trump revive talks with North Korea’s Kim

South Korea and the United States have agreed to closely coordinate efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea following Pyongyang's rejection of President Donald Trump's overtures and subsequent missile launches. South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun confirmed this commitment to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a phone call, stating that Seoul aims to ensure Trump's messages result in renewed US-North Korea discussions and peace on the Korean peninsula.

The US State Department issued a brief statement on the call, which occurred amid tensions between the allies. Trump recently announced a reduction in joint military exercises and praised North Korea's nuclear arsenal while acknowledging Seoul's limited assistance in denuclearizing Iran. The statement from South Korea's Foreign Ministry did not explicitly reaffirm their commitment to North Korea's denuclearization, despite emphasizing the importance of cooperation on the nuclear issue.

Analysts expressed concern that Trump's unpredictability could strain alliances that have maintained peace in Asia. Both sides agreed to work toward mutually beneficial outcomes on various pending issues, including tariffs, investment, and security cooperation. They also agreed to meet in person in the near future.