Photo courtesy of Anadolu
The United States and South Korea agreed to strengthen coordination in addressing North Korea’s nuclear program while maintaining efforts to preserve peace on the Korean Peninsula, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun discussed the issue during a phone call Monday, according to South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency.
The two diplomats agreed to keep communication channels open and maintain a strong combined defense posture as Washington and Seoul dealt with security concerns involving Pyongyang.
Neither Seoul’s account of the conversation nor a separate statement from the US State Department explicitly mentioned the goal of North Korea’s denuclearization.
Cho also expressed hope that recent remarks by US President Donald Trump could help revive direct talks between Washington and Pyongyang. He said Seoul would support efforts to turn the US leader’s message into progress toward peace.
Trump said last week that he expected to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year. No meeting has been formally scheduled, although reports have suggested that talks could coincide with Trump’s expected visit to Asia in November.
Beyond North Korea, Rubio and Cho discussed other issues affecting the US-South Korea relationship, including tariffs, investment arrangements and security cooperation. They agreed to work toward outcomes beneficial to both countries.
Rubio also briefed Cho on US efforts concerning developments in the Middle East as Washington and Seoul continued consultations on regional and international security issues.