S. Korea, US launch consultative body on NK policy amid inter-ministry feud

Jeong Yeon-doo, right, vice minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shakes hands with Kevin Kim, acting U.S. ambassador to Korea, at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul, Tuesday, during the inaugural meeting of a consultative body on the Korea-U.S. joint fact sheet. Joint Press Corps

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday launched a new consultative body on North Korea policy, amid persistent tensions between Seoul's foreign and unification ministries over who should take the lead on inter-Korean affairs.

The consultative group, led by Jeong Yeon-doo, vice minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence at the foreign ministry, and acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Kevin Kim, held its first meeting at the ministry's headquarters in Seoul. Defense officials from both countries also attended.

Known formally as "Follow-up discussions on the South Korea-U.S. joint fact sheet," the body marks the first bilateral consultative mechanism on North Korea to be launched under the Lee Jae Myung government, which took office in June.

The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea during the meeting, according to the foreign ministry.

They also pledged to cooperate on the implementation of the 2018 Singapore Joint Statement between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The allies also urged Pyongyang to return to dialogue and to fulfill its international obligations, including abandoning its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.

The move comes as Seoul seeks to deliver tangible results in its North Korea policy next year, even as Pyongyang remains unresponsive to its repeated overtures.

However, the launch of the new consultative group has been overshadowed by a lack of policy coordination among Seoul's security agencies, after the unification ministry said a day earlier that it would opt out of the foreign ministry-led discussions and instead communicate with Washington through its own channels.

"We are in frequent communication with the U.S. Embassy in Seoul on North Korea policy, and we can also engage with the State Department when necessary," a unification ministry official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

The official downplayed the significance of the dispute, saying the two ministries share the same goal.

"We have a common objective of achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula. While approaches may differ at times, we ultimately aim for a unified policy," he said.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young speaks to reporters on his way to his office at Government Complex Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

While the unification ministry has formally cited the diplomatic nature of the consultative body as the reason for its decision to opt out, the move reflects its view that it should be in charge of North Korea policy, as it is legally tasked with managing inter-Korean relations.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young stressed this position at a press conference last week, saying his ministry should serve as Washington's primary counterpart on North Korea policy, an issue he described as "a matter of sovereignty."

The foreign ministry nevertheless pushed ahead with the plan, explaining that the talks would focus on follow-up discussions related to the bilateral joint fact sheet, which includes pledges to cooperate on security, trade and North Korea-related issues.

National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said policies on North Korea would be coordinated through the National Security Council (NSC).

"I am aware of those concerns," Wi told reporters when asked about the friction between the two ministries. "We are holding extensive discussions at the NSC and coordinating our approach. We will work to ensure the government speaks with a unified voice."

Foreign ministry spokesperson Park Il said it is working in close coordination with the unification ministry on diplomacy and security policies and will continue to do so in order to bring Pyongyang to the negotiating table.

Still, narrowing the differences between the ministries over the new consultative body appears difficult, as concerns persist within the unification ministry that the mechanism could follow the path of the previous South Korea-U.S. working group on North Korea policy, established in 2018 and disbanded in 2021.

The working group had drawn criticism for allowing Washington to exert excessive influence over South Korea’s approach to the North, contrary to early expectations that it would function as a channel for swift coordination between the allies.

Some officials within the unification ministry have also expressed concerns that establishing a formal Seoul-Washington discussion group on denuclearization — an issue Pyongyang regards as especially sensitive — could further discourage North Korea from returning to talks.