‘비핵화’ 없었던 한-미 통화에 ‘패싱 우려’ 진화…“핵심사안 공조 지속”

On the 25th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs raised concerns over the absence of "nuclear disarmament" in the recent North-South Korea foreign minister phone call. The worry stemmed from the notion that US President Donald Trump might be lowering the threshold for North Korea's nuclear disarmament talks to facilitate the North-South Korea summit.

However, the ministry emphasized that both the US and South Korea have consistently upheld the goal of a peaceful and nuclear-free Korea, as stated in the joint statement of their respective leaders in November last year. The ministry reiterated that both nations are working closely to pursue policies towards North Korea, and the relevant discussions took place during the recent ministerial phone call.

The ministry's statement also stated that during the previous July 22nd trilateral diplomatic ministers meeting, "nuclear disarmament" was explicitly mentioned in the official statement. This led to concerns about whether the recent ministerial phone call inadvertently downplayed the issue. Professor Hyuk-hwan, a distinguished professor of North Korea Studies at Dongguk University, suggested that the recent diplomatic maneuvers might be an attempt to stimulate North Korea and lessen the severity of the North-South Korea summit negotiations.

The escalating tensions between the two Koreas and the US have been exacerbated by North Korea's recent leader Kim Yo-jong's harsh criticism of the South Korean government, further heightening the already tense situation. Some observers speculate that the US may be tolerating North Korea's nuclear weapons program in exchange for restrictions on its intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) as a concession to North Korea.

The foreign ministerial phone call was reportedly called for by the South Korean government, as the government aims to gain insights into the US' considerations for the North-South Korea summit and the conditions under which such a meeting might take place. Experts believe that the US and South Korean diplomatic authorities should maintain open communication to ensure that South Korea's voice is heard in the ongoing negotiations.