National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac (left) is seen at the presidential senior secretaries’ meeting in Seoul held on Aug. 20. (Yonhap)
South Korea will support efforts to restart dialogue between the United States and North Korea while ensuring that Seoul is not sidelined and that its security posture is not weakened in the process, National security adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday.
“President Trump has recently scaled back South Korea-US combined exercises and field training exercises, while continuing to express his willingness to engage with North Korea,” Wi said, referring to US President Donald Trump’s recent comments concerning North Korea.
In recent weeks, Trump has highlighted his relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, and expressed willingness to hold talks directly with Kim.
“As a party directly concerned with peace on the Korean Peninsula and as a pacemaker, we will support trust-building between North Korea and the United States and the resumption of dialogue so that President Trump’s efforts can lead to renewed US-North Korea talks.”
Wi, however, said Seoul would take a “multidimensional approach” to prepare for potential concerns surrounding any resumption of negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang.
One priority would be to coordinate with the US to ensure that renewed dialogue produces “substantive progress” on the North Korean nuclear issue alongside efforts to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, he said.
“At the same time, another point we need to keep in mind is ensuring that our security posture is not weakened and that South Korea is not bypassed in the process,” Wi said.
His remarks underscore Seoul’s attempt to balance support for Trump’s outreach to Pyongyang with concerns that direct negotiations between the US and North Korea could leave South Korea with diminished influence over issues directly affecting its security.
Wi said close policy coordination and communication between Seoul and Washington would be particularly important in managing such risks.
The two allies are currently dealing with a range of issues, including investment, corporate matters involving Coupang, security and intelligence cooperation and the transfer of wartime operational control, or OPCON, he said.
“The government is making efforts to closely coordinate and manage these issues in order to strengthen the framework of cooperation between South Korea and the United States,” Wi said.
He added that Seoul and Washington have maintained close communication at various levels, including a phone call between their foreign ministers on Aug. 24.
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com