South Korea has pledged to help the U.S. revive dialogue with North Korea, despite recent missile launches and Pyongyang’s apparent reluctance to resume talks.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun assured U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio of Seoul’s commitment to facilitate renewed U.S.-North Korea discussions and peace on the Korean Peninsula. This assurance was given during a phone call on Monday, Reuters reported.

The U.S. State Department issued a brief statement on the call, emphasizing the need for the two countries to remain in close coordination on matters integral to the alliance.

South Korea and the U.S. agreed to deepen cooperation on North Korea’s nuclear issue, peace efforts, and to maintain strong joint defenses. Seoul also backed President Donald Trump’s efforts to restart dialogue with Pyongyang, though its Foreign Ministry did not explicitly reaffirm its longstanding denuclearization commitment.

Investment Dispute Adds to Bilateral Tensions

This comes amid a period of tension between the two allies, following Trump’s recent announcement of scaling back joint military exercises and his praise for nuclear-armed North Korea.

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho said the country’s $350 billion U.S. investment pledge could become a source of friction, as Seoul has yet to finalize details despite receiving Washington’s proposed projects, Reuters reported, citing Yonhap. Cho and Rubio agreed to seek mutually beneficial solutions on tariffs, investment and security, while discussing efforts to restore free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The two ministers also agreed to meet again for deeper talks on key issues.

Trump had earlier expressed his expectation to meet North Korean leader Kim Jong Un later this year, a claim disputed by Kim’s sister Kim Yo Jong, who stated that there had been no recent communication between the two leaders.

Meanwhile, there is a significant discrepancy in the estimated number of nuclear warheads possessed by North Korea, with Trump’s estimate of 57 being nearly half of South Korea’s Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back’s estimate of 80 to 120.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: Rawpixel.com / Shutterstock.com