South Korea and U.S. Launch Full-Scale Diplomatic Coordination on North Korea Policy... Diplomatic Academy: "Possibility of U.S.-North Korea Summit Next Year"

South Korea and the United States have officially launched consultations on North Korea policy through diplomatic channels.

Jung Yeondu, Director of the Foreign Strategy and Intelligence Office (right), and Kevin Kim, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Korea, pose during a follow-up consultation on the Joint Fact Sheet of the Korea-U.S. Summit held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul on December 16, 2025. [Joint Coverage] Yonhap News Agency

Jung Yeondu, Director of the Foreign Strategy and Intelligence Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Kevin Kim, Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Korea, held their first regular consultation at 10 a.m. on December 16 at the Government Complex Seoul. While communication between South Korea and the United States has been routine in the past, this is the first time they have met in a publicly announced meeting since Director Jung took office. Notably, Deputy Chief of Mission Kim previously served as Chief of Staff to Stephen Biegun, the U.S. Special Representative for North Korea, during the U.S.-North Korea dialogue period from 2018 to 2020, drawing particular attention.

Officials from not only the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but also the Ministry of National Defense attended the consultation. However, the Ministry of Unification did not participate, expressing concerns that this consultation could become a 'second Korea-U.S. Working Group.' On the U.S. side, Dan Cintron, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs at the State Department, and Maria Sand, Chief of the North Korea Team at the State Department’s Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs, were present.

Amid opposition from the Ministry of Unification, the government decided, after internal discussions, to name this consultation the 'Korea-U.S. Summit Joint Fact Sheet (JFS) Follow-up Consultation.' Although the fact sheet includes North Korea issues and the composition of the delegations remains largely unchanged, a Ministry of Foreign Affairs official stated, "This is different in nature from the previous Korea-U.S. Working Group."

There is also significant interest in the fact that South Korea and the United States have begun full-fledged discussions on North Korea policy at this time. This is because President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit China in April next year, and there is a possibility that this visit could serve as an opportunity to arrange a surprise meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

The Korea National Diplomatic Academy mentioned the possibility of U.S.-North Korea talks resuming next year in its '2026 International Affairs Outlook' released today. Professor Jeon Bonggeun analyzed, "President Trump is expected to continue a top-down approach to North Korea," adding, "There are shared interests between the two leaders in holding a summit, peaceful coexistence, and placing denuclearization as a lower priority, which somewhat increases the possibility of a U.S.-North Korea summit." In contrast, regarding inter-Korean relations, he said, "North Korea is likely to focus on domestic politics, continue its 'two hostile states' narrative, and strengthen ties with Russia, making it more likely to avoid inter-Korean dialogue."