South Korea-U.S. begin talks on North Korea policy

South Korea and the United States on Tuesday held their first meeting aimed at coordinating bilateral policies, including those related to North Korea, and agreed to strengthen communication at all levels. The talks were led by Jeong Yeon-doo, director general for foreign strategy and intelligence at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry, and Kevin Kim, chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Seoul. Officials from South Korea’s Foreign Ministry and the U.S. State Department, as well as the Defense Ministry and the U.S. Defense Department, also took part.

The meeting was renamed “follow-up consultations to the South Korea-U.S. summit fact sheet,” replacing the previously announced title of “regular consultations on North Korea policy.” The change came after the Unification Ministry publicly objected and announced it would not participate, arguing that it is the primary government body responsible for consultations with the United States on North Korea policy.

The fact that the first meeting, originally intended to coordinate North Korea policy, concluded under an ambiguous title and produced only general discussions points to a lack of coordination within the South Korean government. Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young openly expressed displeasure with the Foreign Ministry-led South Korea-U.S. talks, saying policy on the Korean Peninsula and inter-Korean relations falls within the realm of sovereignty and that the Unification Ministry should serve as the primary channel for consultations with allies. As former unification ministers added their voices to the criticism, the situation began to resemble a revival of past tensions between so-called autonomy-oriented and alliance-oriented camps.

To be sure, concerns that the current South Korea-U.S. consultations could follow the path of the 2018 South Korea-U.S. working group are not without merit. At the time, the working group was criticized for repeatedly hindering inter-Korean cooperation projects, as the U.S. side frequently applied the brakes by citing potential sanctions violations. In particular, the U.S. chargé d’affaires leading this round of talks has previously voiced concerns about South Korea’s approach toward North Korea, including proposals to adjust joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, further heightening unease among those aligned with the autonomy-oriented camp.

However, the Unification Ministry’s assertion that it should also take the lead in coordinating North Korea policy with the United States is difficult to justify. North Korea policy is not solely a matter of inter-Korean relations but a diplomatic issue that requires close coordination with the international community, particularly the United States. Minister Jeong has previously cast doubt on the very rationale for the Unification Ministry by advancing a peaceful two-state theory, and he now exposes a contradiction by insisting that his ministry should spearhead diplomatic consultations with third countries on relations between two states.

The South Korea-U.S. consultations were arranged in anticipation of the possibility that a North Korea-U.S. summit could be pursued during President Donald Trump’s visit to China in April next year, particularly to guard against the risks posed by Trump-style impulsive direct dealings. At a time when concerns about South Korea being sidelined are already growing, it remains unclear how the United States will interpret the conflicting messages emerging from within the South Korean government itself.