South Korea’s Foreign Minister Vows to Pursue Peace on Korean Peninsula

South Korea’s Foreign Minister Cho Hyun expressed his commitment on Monday to work towards peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue with North Korea and other relevant nations. Speaking at an event organized by the South Korea-US Parliamentarians Union, Cho emphasized the need to reflect deeply on actions required to ensure security and peace in the region. He highlighted the significance of the two summit meetings held between South Korea and the United States this year as a foundation for ongoing efforts. Cho stressed the importance of promptly and effectively negotiating the agreements outlined in the joint fact sheet.
He also mentioned the necessity for South Korea to enhance deterrence measures while actively pursuing dialogue with North Korea and other concerned nations. Following the summits in August and October between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump, a joint fact sheet was released detailing various agreements. These agreements include US support for South Korea’s endeavors in civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful purposes, as well as US endorsement and commitment to advancing Seoul’s pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines.
Cho disclosed that discussions with Washington regarding submarines and uranium enrichment will take place next year. Recently, South Korean President Lee Jae Myung instructed officials to organize a meeting of security-related ministers to improve coordination on the government’s North Korea policy. This directive followed closed-door policy briefings attended by Lee from the foreign and unification ministries. Notably, there have been differences in policy directions between the ministries concerning North Korea policies under the new administration.
While the foreign ministry has stressed the importance of consultation and coordination with Washington in dealing with Pyongyang, the unification ministry has focused more on inter-Korean dialogue independent of US involvement. President Lee viewed the differing perspectives among ministries positively, recognizing that diverse viewpoints can expand policy options for diplomatic and security strategies.