South Korea not mulling joint drills as leverage for inter-Korean talks: official
Seoul, Dec 7 (LatestNewsX) – South Korea is not planning to tweak its joint military drills with the United States as a way of restarting talks that have stalled with North Korea, National Security Adviser Wi Sung‑lac said on Sunday.
Wi was asked whether Seoul might reconsider the regular exercises with Washington to help rekindle dialogue across the peninsula, especially since Pyongyang has rebuffed the outreach attempts made by President Lee Jae‑Myung during his first six months in office.
“ If we want to resume talks, we should think about what options are available. While there are many possibilities, we are not immediately looking at the Korea‑US joint drills as leverage,” Wi explained during a briefing for the press, Yonhap reported.
He admitted that gains in inter‑Korean relations have been modest, promising that the South will keep working to defuse tensions and re‑open channels with Pyongyang.
Last month, Lee said that a stable peace regime where large‑scale manoeuvres become unnecessary would be ideal in the long run, but the timing of such exercises must hinge on shifting security realities. He cautioned that it is too early to make definitive judgments on the issue, calling it the “most sensitive” topic for North Korea.
Pyongyang has long criticized the Seoul‑Washington drills as “war rehearsals,” while the allies maintain that they serve defensive purposes.
Lee has re‑affirmed his push for dialogue following Seoul’s proposal for military talks aimed at clarifying the Military Demarcation Line to reduce accidental clashes near the border, but Pyongyang has not yet replied.
Later, Wi told reporters that North Korea’s absence from the recent U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS) does not signal American indifference to the country, but rather reflects its “America First” focus.
“There is no indication that the U.S. is uninterested in resolving North Korea’s nuclear dilemma or in restarting negotiations,” Wi added, suggesting that these matters might be addressed at lower‑level forums in the future.
On Friday, President Trump’s administration unveiled its policy blueprint on foreign affairs, defense, and economic security, notably omitting any mention of North Korea—a first in prior documents.
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