Nuclear Envoy: "Supporting Early North Korea-U.S. Talks... Inter-Korean Trust Is a Long-Term Goal"

"U.S. Reaffirms Openness to Unconditional Dialogue with North Korea"

Jung Yeondu, Director General of the Foreign Strategy Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who is currently visiting the United States, said on the 26th (local time), "I explained to the U.S. side that since North Korea's messaging has been within our range of expectations, we will continue to play the role of a 'pacemaker' in supporting the early resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue." He added, "The U.S. side also reaffirmed its position that it is open to unconditional dialogue, and both sides agreed to maintain close communication and cooperation at all levels."

Jung Yeondu, the government's chief envoy for North Korean nuclear issues and director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Foreign Strategy Headquarters, held a briefing with the Korean press corps at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Washington DC on the 26th (local time). 2026.2.27 Yonhap News Agency

Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Director General Jung made these remarks during a meeting with Korean correspondents at the South Korean Embassy in Washington, D.C. on the same day, stating, "We also plan to continue our efforts to ease tensions and build trust between the two Koreas from a long-term perspective."

Following the recent conclusion of the 9th Congress of the Workers' Party of Korea, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has taken a stance to exclude South Korea while leaving the door open for dialogue with the United States. In response, the United States has effectively offered 'unconditional dialogue'. Diplomatic circles are paying attention to the possibility of communication between the leaders of North Korea and the United States in conjunction with President Donald Trump's planned visit to China at the end of March. However, no working-level movements between North Korea and the United States have been detected so far. In this regard, a government official stated, "There is no new development such as working-level contact between North Korea and the United States. The United States is maintaining its position of being open to dialogue, but it appears that they are not yet prepared to take concrete steps toward that goal."

This official also commented on Allison Hooker, U.S. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, who was deeply involved in working-level North Korea engagement during the first Trump administration, saying, "We have confirmed that she remains actively involved in North Korea-related issues as an expert on the Korean Peninsula. I received a clear impression that, under the basic stance of being open to dialogue with North Korea, there is a strong commitment to close coordination between South Korea and the United States regardless of what situation arises."

During this visit, Director General Jung met with key officials at the U.S. Department of State, including Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Allison Hooker, Under Secretary for Arms Control and International Security Thomas DiNanno, and Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombr?, to exchange views on the situation and current issues on the Korean Peninsula. He also met with think tank and congressional figures to explain the South Korean government's phased denuclearization approach and North Korea policy, while also listening to the perspectives of the broader U.S. policy community regarding North Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.