US-ROK Deputy Foreign Ministers Reaffirm Commitment to Complete Denuclearization of North Korea

The South Korea-U.S. Deputy Foreign Ministers reaffirmed the goal of "complete denuclearization of North Korea."

Kim Hong-gyun, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 1st, First Vice Foreign Minister Kim Hong-kyun and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau held a phone call on the same day to exchange views on the North Korean nuclear issue, the South Korea-U.S. alliance, trilateral cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan, and economic cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. This was the first phone call between the two countries' deputy foreign ministers since the inauguration of the second Trump administration.

Vice Minister Kim congratulated Deputy Secretary Landau on his appointment and expressed gratitude for U.S. support in extinguishing wildfires in the Yeongnam region and for the condolence message issued at the State Department level. He then said, "I hope to work closely with Deputy Secretary Landau to further develop the South Korea-U.S. alliance."

Vice Minister Kim also stated, "While South Korea and the U.S. continue to maintain the goal of complete denuclearization of North Korea, I hope we will strengthen cooperation in responding to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and in blocking illegal funds such as the theft of virtual assets by North Korea." He added, "Illegal military cooperation between Russia and North Korea must be immediately halted in the process of ending the Ukraine war, and no compensation should be made for North Korea's wrongful actions."

Vice Minister Kim particularly emphasized that the upcoming U.S. announcement on mutual tariff imposition scheduled for the 2nd should not cause obstacles to economic cooperation between the two countries and proposed consultations to find related solutions.

Deputy Secretary Landau expressed gratitude for Vice Minister Kim's congratulations and emphasized that the South Korea-U.S. alliance is a key pillar for peace, stability, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula and in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He also stressed close cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. to respond to regional threats, including North Korea. Furthermore, he reportedly mentioned expanding economic cooperation between South Korea and the U.S. in energy sectors such as nuclear power and LNG, as well as in advanced technology fields.

The two deputy ministers agreed to make efforts to hold the South Korea-U.S.-Japan Deputy Foreign Ministers' Meeting, which has served as a focal point for coordinating and managing trilateral cooperation projects, at an early date to continue trilateral cooperation. To this end, they agreed to meet at mutually convenient times to continue in-depth discussions, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.