Thursday, August 27, 2026 -South Korea is backing President Donald Trump’s renewed push to restart dialogue with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, but Seoul wants the talks to deliver concrete progress on Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said Friday that South Korea will actively support confidence-building measures and work closely with Washington to create conditions for negotiations to resume.
The diplomatic push comes after Trump ordered a major reduction in U.S.-South Korea military exercises, a move viewed as a possible gesture toward Pyongyang. Seoul supports lowering tensions but is insisting that diplomacy must not weaken its security readiness or leave South Korea sidelined in negotiations.
The United States, South Korea and Japan are also preparing a joint military exercise in September focused on North Korean missile and nuclear threats, underscoring the delicate balance between diplomacy and deterrence.
The biggest challenge now is getting North Korea back to the negotiating table. Pyongyang has not shown clear signs of accepting renewed talks, while its nuclear capabilities and growing military cooperation with Russia remain major concerns.
For Seoul, any breakthrough will depend on maintaining close coordination with Washington while ensuring that future U.S.-North Korea negotiations address the nuclear threat and protect South Korea’s role in decisions affecting the Korean Peninsula.
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