South Korea, US likely to launch regular consultations next week on North Korea policy
On December 12, LatestNewsX reported that South Korea and the United States are moving toward launching a regular consultative forum as early as next week, with the aim of tightening coordination on their North Korea strategy. Officials in both capitals are arranging for Jeong Yeon‑doo, the foreign ministry’s Vice Minister for Intelligence and North Korea nuclear affairs, and US Acting Ambassador to Korea Kevin Kim to inaugurate the new meeting. While the exact date is still pending, many expect it to take place on Tuesday.
The two sides have reportedly agreed that a recurring channel is essential for timely discussions on North Korea matters, especially as they intend to renew talks with Pyongyang. Once the forum begins, it will likely hone the pace and direction of the alliance’s policies, supporting President Lee Jae‑myung’s plan to launch comprehensive peace‑building efforts next year.
On December 9, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry confirmed that the U.S. and South Korea are negotiating a regular policy‑coordination meeting. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il told reporters that working‑level talks have been in progress for months to iron out the details. “Through the meeting, we plan to discuss overall policy toward North Korea, including ways to bring the North back to the dialogue table,” he said.
While Seoul and Washington see the need for a repeated consultation mechanism, they are not pursuing the establishment of a permanent advisory body, according to officials. This initiative comes as the Lee Jae‑myung administration seeks to repair strained relations with Pyongyang and revive dialogue, even though North Korea has remained silent on Seoul’s peace overtures.
In related developments, President Donald Trump has expressed a desire to meet with Kim Jong‑un to restart stalled diplomacy, and Acting Ambassador Kim emphasized that “complete denuclearisation” remains a shared priority after the term was omitted from a new U.S. security strategy document.
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