Seoul to work with Washington to make NK-US dialogue lead to progress on nuclear issue: Wi
Summary
South Korea will coordinate closely with the United States so any resumed North Korea-U.S. dialogue leads to tangible progress on the nuclear issue, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday in Seoul. He said Seoul wants the talks to advance a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula while avoiding lax security and exclusion from Washington-Pyongyang engagement. Wi also said South Korea and China agreed to begin joint preparations for President Lee Jae Myung’s attendance at the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November. The two sides also discussed resuming cooperation among South Korea, China and Japan.
Key Facts
- Wi said Seoul should help build trust between North Korea and the United States so dialogue can resume.
- He warned that South Korea must ensure its security posture does not become lax and that it is not sidelined from Washington-Pyongyang engagement.
- Wi said he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed to begin joint preparations for President Lee Jae Myung’s attendance at the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November.
- He said the two sides also discussed measures to resume cooperation among South Korea, China and Japan.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac, right, speaks to Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan during a government meeting in Seoul, Aug. 18. Yonhap
South Korea will closely coordinate with the United States to make sure a resumption of dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang will lead to tangible progress on the North Korean nuclear issue, Seoul's top security adviser said Friday.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac made the remarks at a press briefing as U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly signaled his intention to rekindle now-dormant diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.
Trump's dialogue offer, at a time when North Korea has significantly advanced its nuclear and missile capabilities, is stirring concerns that renewed talks could come at the cost of compromising the allies' long-held goal of completely denuclearizing the North.
Wi stressed that Seoul should focus on "cooperation with the U.S. in a way that the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue could lead to tangible progress toward the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula and (resolving) the North Korean nuclear issue."
"(The government) plans to help build trust between North Korea and the U.S. so that President Trump's efforts can lead to the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue," he added.
In the process, Seoul should pay attention to ensuring that South Korea's security posture does not become lax and that the country is not sidelined from Washington-Pyongyang engagement, the national security chief said, stressing the need for ever-tighter cooperation with Washington.
Commenting on his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Seoul last week, Wi said the two sides agreed to begin joint preparations for President Lee Jae Myung's attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, set to be held in China's Shenzhen in November.
The two also discussed measures to resume cooperation among South Korea, China and Japan, Wi noted.
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