National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac said on the 28th that South Korea must ensure its defense posture is not weakened and that it is not bypassed as the possibility grows of renewed talks between the United States and North Korea. "One of the points to watch is making sure our security posture is not loosened and that South Korea is not passed over," he said. "As a party to peace on the Korean Peninsula and as a pacemaker, we will support trust-building between the United States and North Korea so that President Donald Trump's efforts lead to a resumption of dialogue."
Wi made the remarks in a meeting with reporters at the presidential office, noting that Trump has recently scaled back joint military exercises and field training with South Korea while repeatedly signaling a willingness to engage with Pyongyang. "We intend to take a multidimensional approach that also prepares appropriately for the points we need to watch in this process," he said.
"One of those points is coordinating with the U.S. side so that any resumption of U.S.-North Korea talks brings substantive progress on the North Korean nuclear issue along with the building of a peace regime on the peninsula," he said. "Policy coordination and communication between South Korea and the United States are more important than ever if this work is to proceed smoothly."
He added that the two countries face a range of pending issues, including investment, corporate matters such as Coupang, security cooperation, intelligence cooperation and the transfer of wartime operational control. "The government is working to properly coordinate these issues and strengthen the framework of cooperation between Seoul and Washington," he said.
Wi also described his talks with Wang Yi, a member of the Chinese Communist Party's Politburo and foreign minister, who visited South Korea recently. "He and I held about two hours of talks and a luncheon, and it is significant that dialogue between South Korea's national security adviser and China's foreign minister has resumed after five years, having been suspended in 2021," he said. "The two sides agreed to run this channel on a regular basis. We also agreed to discuss arranging a visit by me to China at a convenient time."
Wi said he strongly urged Wang to provide constructive Chinese cooperation in advancing the policy of peaceful coexistence that President Lee Jae-myung laid out in his Liberation Day address, and that he explained South Korea's position on denuclearization and establishing peace in detail during the discussion. The two sides also exchanged candid views on ways to resume trilateral cooperation among South Korea, China and Japan, he said.
He added that the meeting also led both sides to begin preparations in earnest for Lee's attendance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November.
