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Seoul backs Trump push to restart North Korea nuclear negotiations

South Korea has expressed support for renewed diplomatic efforts with North Korea, while seeking to maintain its security posture and advance denuclearisation goals. The position reflects Seoul's balancing act between supporting international initiatives and protecting its own strategic interests.

LSN Singapore · 28 August 2026

Seoul backs Trump push to restart North Korea nuclear negotiations

South Korea has signalled backing for renewed diplomatic engagement with North Korea, aligning with efforts to restart stalled nuclear negotiations. The move underscores Seoul's commitment to pursuing a lasting resolution to the peninsula's nuclear crisis through dialogue, even as it seeks to preserve its security arrangements.

South Korean officials have indicated that any revival of talks must advance concrete progress on denuclearisation while ensuring that Seoul's defensive capabilities and strategic position remain uncompromised. The country has historically walked a delicate line in regional diplomacy, balancing engagement with North Korea against its security alliance with the United States.

Previous rounds of negotiations between Washington and Pyongyang have yielded limited tangible results, with talks breaking down over disagreements on sanctions relief and nuclear disarmament timelines. Seoul's renewed backing for diplomatic channels reflects hopes that a fresh approach could break the impasse and reduce tensions on the peninsula.

The initiative comes amid broader regional concerns over North Korea's weapons development programme and its implications for stability in Northeast Asia. South Korea's participation in any renewed diplomatic framework would be essential, given its direct stake in Korean peninsula security and its role as a key mediator between Washington and Pyongyang.