Trump says North Korea has 57 nuclear weapons, expects Kim meeting

Seoul’s phased approach to North Korea contrasts with US denuclearization goal

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry readout of the call said the two diplomats “agreed to continue close communication and coordination between the two countries for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resolution of the North Korean nuclear issue, while maintaining a solid South Korea-U.S. combined defense posture.” Ministry spokesman Park Doo-soon told reporters at a regular briefing Tuesday that denuclearization was discussed during the call and that “South Korea and the United States have consistently maintained the goals of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and denuclearization.”

The omission of an explicit denuclearization reference from the Seoul readout is consistent with Lee’s stated approach. The South Korean president has not made denuclearization a prerequisite for dialogue, instead advocating a phased approach that begins with a freeze on North Korea’s nuclear development while pursuing reduced tensions and peaceful coexistence.

Trump has said he expects to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year and claimed Pyongyang possesses 57 “very powerful” nuclear weapons. The renewed U.S. push for talks has prompted concerns among South Korean opposition politicians and analysts that Seoul could be sidelined in negotiations, potentially leading to a deal at odds with South Korean security interests.

Park said Seoul and Washington were coordinating “at all levels” on North Korea and other alliance issues. “Our government is actively working, as both a pacemaker and a party directly concerned with peace on the Korean Peninsula, to resume North Korea-U.S. dialogue and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula through close coordination between South Korea and the United States,” he said.

The Monday phone call followed Trump’s order last week to curtail the allies’ annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise. Trump cited the cost of the drills and called them “inappropriate and hostile” toward Pyongyang. Cho said the South Korean government would “do its utmost to ensure that President Trump’s recent message leads to the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue and peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

The two diplomats also discussed the Middle East, tariffs, investment and security cooperation, according to Seoul’s readout, and agreed to seek “mutually beneficial” outcomes on outstanding issues. Rubio “explained the current situation in the Middle East,” while Cho expressed South Korea’s “commitment to making a substantive contribution to restoring free passage in the Strait of Hormuz.” The exchange followed Trump’s criticism last week of South Korea for what he claimed was a refusal to assist U.S. efforts in the strait amid Washington’s ongoing conflict with Iran.

The U.S. State Department offered a considerably shorter account of Monday’s call, saying only that the two diplomats discussed a “range of issues” involving the alliance. “The Secretary noted the need for the two countries to remain in close coordination on matters that are integral to the alliance,” spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.

Cho and Rubio agreed to meet in person “in the near future” for further discussions, Seoul’s Foreign Ministry said.