North Korea denuclearization missing from US readout as Trump pushes for Kim talks

The United States conspicuously omitted any reference to "the denuclearization of North Korea" from its readout of a phone call between the top diplomats of South Korea and the U.S., raising speculation that Washington is creating diplomatic room for renewed engagement with Pyongyang.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone Monday to discuss a range of bilateral issues, with both sides stressing the need for close coordination between the allies. The two governments, however, differed notably in how they described discussions on North Korea.

According to South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho and Rubio "agreed to preserve the strong South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture while maintaining close communication and coordination for peace on the Korean Peninsula and to resolve the North Korean nuclear issue."

Cho also told Rubio that Seoul "would work to ensure that U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent messages toward Pyongyang could lead to the resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue and contribute to peace on the Korean Peninsula," adding that the two ministers agreed to meet in person in the near future.

The U.S. State Department’s readout was much more concise, making no reference to North Korea, its nuclear program or denuclearization.

“Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with Republic of Korea (ROK) Foreign Minister Cho Hyun today on a range of issues in the U.S.-ROK Alliance,” it said. “The Secretary noted the need for the two countries to remain in close coordination on matters that are integral to the Alliance.”

The omission drew attention because recent U.S. statements on the Korean Peninsula have explicitly reaffirmed the goal of North Korea’s complete denuclearization. A July 22 readout of a trilateral meeting among the foreign ministers of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan, for example, underscored their shared commitment to that goal.

Dropping the term from Monday's readout is therefore being interpreted as either an intentional signal or an indication of a policy shift. Insiders and experts see it as a deliberate signal that Washington is moving to create the conditions for renewed talks with Pyongyang.

Ban Kil-joo, professor at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, said that omitting the term "denuclearization" aligns with efforts by Trump and his administration to have talks with Kim materialize, potentially providing a diplomatic breakthrough ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in which the Republicans are expected to suffer heavy losses amid Trump's record-low 33 percent approval rating.

“The decision to refrain from using the term 'denuclearization' is intended to build leverage and create diplomatic maneuvering room, serving as a tactical prelude to entering actual negotiations,” Ban said.

"Posting the photos serves as both an incentive and an urgent call for Pyongyang to act quickly. Regarding the uploading timing, signaling a willingness to meet either before or after the Nov. 3 U.S. midterm elections is key; doing so could help soothe public discontent over the war with Iran and stem the loss of votes driven by the war,” he said, adding Trump may think resolving the issues on the Korean Peninsula will create a path to winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

In either scenario — whether Republicans lose both chambers or surrender only the House of Representatives — Trump may face a potential lame-duck presidency, leaving talks with Pyongyang as his last remaining diplomatic agenda, according to Ban.

The readout came as U.S. President Trump has been openly showing his intention since June to resume talks with North Korea by scaling down the recent joint South Korea-U.S. military drills and uploading photos taken with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in Panmunjeom in 2019 and Singapore in 2018 — most recently uploading three such photos without captions on Monday. During his first term, following the June 2018 summit, Trump similarly scaled down and suspended some drills, referring to them as "war games."

The South Korean foreign ministry noted that there has been no change in the allies’ position.

"We consistently maintain our commitment to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, as well as the goal of denuclearization. South Korea and the U.S. are executing their North Korea policy in close coordination to achieve these shared objectives, which were also discussed during the recent telephone call between Cho and Rubio," Park Doo-soon, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Tuesday.

“Given President Trump’s ongoing interest in dialogue with Pyongyang, current developments are assessed as a continuation of his stance,” a Unification Ministry official said.

The prospect of direct Trump-Kim diplomacy has also fueled concerns among some opposition lawmakers that Seoul could be sidelined in negotiations over the Korean Peninsula.

Rep. Cho Jung-hun of the main opposition People Power Party pointed to the difference between the South Korean and U.S. readouts as a warning sign.

“While South Korea's foreign ministry continues to stress close communication to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and resolve the North Korean nuclear issue, recent U.S. State Department readouts avoid any mention of North Korea's denuclearization,” Cho wrote on Facebook Tuesday.

“This is deeply concerning. As a key stakeholder, South Korea must never see its role diminished in critical national security matters affecting the Korean Peninsula … There is little indication that South Korea is proactively steering the narrative.”