Unification Minister Chung Dong-young (R) shakes hands with acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun ahead of a meeting at the government complex in central Seoul on Aug. 1, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, August 1 (Korea Bizwire) — Unification Minister Chung Dong-young met with the acting U.S. ambassador in Seoul and emphasized the importance of President Donald Trump’s role in building solid peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Chung made the remarks during a meeting with acting U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Joseph Yun, as both the Lee Jae Myung and Trump administrations seek to resume dialogue with North Korea to ease tensions.
“We have high hopes for President Trump’s leadership. I want to emphasize the importance of his leadership and the significance (of his term) in turning the unstable peace on the Korean Peninsula into a solid one,” Chung said in his opening remarks.
Yun affirmed that President Trump is keenly interested in Korean Peninsula issues, suggesting Trump’s ongoing efforts to engage with North Korea.
“The projects he initiated with North Korea are not yet complete. Being aware of this, I am giving a lot of thought to what I would do with that side,” Yun said.
The meeting came as the Lee administration is reportedly considering adjusting the upcoming annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise with the United States, scheduled to begin in mid-August, as part of efforts to improve ties with North Korea.
Right ahead of his meeting with Chung, Yun also cited “complete denuclearization” as the goal of U.S. talks with North Korea. “What is clear is (the goal is) complete denuclearization,” he told Yonhap News Agency.
Issuing statements earlier this week, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, flatly rejected any dialogue with Seoul.
Kim described the North Korea-U.S. relationship as “not bad,” although she warned that talks with the U.S. would be “a mockery” if their purpose is denuclearization.
(Yonhap)
