Kuala lumpur: South Korea will focus on reducing inter-Korean tensions and renewing dialogue with North Korea while maintaining a firm stance on the North's nuclear and missile threats in coordination with the international community, as stated by a senior diplomat at a recent forum.
According to Yonhap News Agency, First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo articulated these goals during the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), a multilateral security meeting held in Malaysia. Representing the new government under President Lee Jae Myung, Park expressed the administration's commitment to achieving "tangible progress" towards peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Park attended the ASEAN-hosted meetings in place of the foreign minister nominee Cho Hyun, whose appointment is still pending. The ARF, an expanded security forum, includes ASEAN member states, the United States, China, Japan, the European Union, and others, as well as North Korea, which was notably absent this year.
Park highlighted South Korea's dual approach of firmly addressing North Korea's nuclear threats in collaboration with global partners while striving to reduce military tensions and foster trust between the Koreas. This approach aligns with President Lee's stance on pursuing dialogue despite North Korea cutting off communication amid stalled nuclear talks.
Park urged the ARF to support these initiatives and send a unified message encouraging Pyongyang to denuclearize and engage in dialogue. Participating countries shared concerns over North Korea's ongoing nuclear developments but recognized Seoul's efforts to ease tensions and resume talks.
Furthermore, Park expressed concern about the increasing military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, emphasizing adherence to international laws and U.N. Security Council resolutions. The ARF participants also discussed other regional and global issues, including the South China Sea, the Ukraine conflict, and Middle East tensions.
The ARF is notable as a regular multilateral meeting attended by Pyongyang, which skipped this year's session for the first time in 25 years. Malaysia, the host, severed ties with North Korea in 2021 following diplomatic tensions after extraditing a North Korean businessperson to the U.S.
Before the ARF, Park engaged with five Mekong region countries to discuss cooperation on climate change, rural development, and digital sector advancements. On Friday, he also held bilateral meetings with diplomats from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Malaysia.