South Korea, U.S. top diplomats agree to coordinate on North Korea

SEOUL, Aug. 25 (UPI) — South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged to maintain close coordination on North Korea and other key issues in a phone call late Monday, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said, amid signs of strain between the allies over military exercises, Iran and trade.

The conversation came after U.S. President Donald Trump last week abruptly ordered the allies to curtail their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise, citing its cost and saying the drills sent an “inappropriate and hostile” signal to Pyongyang.

Cho and Rubio “agreed to continue close communication and coordination between the two countries for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, while maintaining a solid South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture,” Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said in a readout.

Cho said the South Korean government would “do its utmost to ensure that President Trump’s recent message leads to the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

The U.S. president said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year and claimed that Pyongyang possesses 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons.

The Foreign Ministry readout did not explicitly mention denuclearization, which has long been an official goal of both Seoul and Washington. A ministry spokesman said Tuesday, however, that the issue was discussed during the call.

“South Korea and the United States have consistently maintained the goals of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization,” spokesman Park Doo-soon said at a regular briefing.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has not made denuclearization a prerequisite for dialogue, instead advocating a phased approach beginning with a freeze on North Korea’s nuclear development while pursuing reduced tensions and peaceful coexistence.

Trump’s renewed push for U.S.-North Korea talks has prompted concerns among South Korean opposition politicians and analysts that Seoul could be sidelined in negotiations, potentially leading to a deal at odds with South Korean security interests.

Park said Seoul and Washington were coordinating “at all levels” on North Korea and other alliance issues.

“Our government is actively working, as both a pacemaker and a party directly concerned with peace on the Korean Peninsula, to resume North Korea-U.S. dialogue and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula through close coordination between South Korea and the United States,” he said.

Cho and Rubio also discussed the situation in the Middle East, another recent source of friction in the alliance.

Trump criticized South Korea last week for what he claimed was a refusal to assist U.S. efforts in the Strait of Hormuz amid Washington’s ongoing conflict with Iran.

Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said Rubio “explained the current situation in the Middle East,” while Cho expressed South Korea’s “commitment to making a substantive contribution to restoring free passage in the Strait of Hormuz.”

The two diplomats also discussed tariffs, investment and security cooperation and agreed to seek “mutually beneficial” outcomes on outstanding issues, according to the ministry.

The U.S. State Department offered a considerably shorter account of Monday’s call, saying only that the two diplomats discussed a “range of issues” involving the alliance.

“The Secretary noted the need for the two countries to remain in close coordination on matters that are integral to the alliance,” spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Cho and Rubio agreed to meet in person “in the near future” for further discussions, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.