Foreign Minister Cho Hyun said Wednesday that US President Donald Trump's gestures towards North Korea — including scaling down military drills and his comments regarding US-North Korea talks — "mark a turning point" for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
Speaking to the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, Cho said that Seoul is working with the US on any development relating to dialogue with Pyongyang.
"Our government has been fully prepared to open the doors for dialogue with North Korea, and we will consult closely with the US to ensure we do not miss this opportunity," Cho added.
Asked about Trump's order to scale down Korea-US joint military drills without prior notice to Seoul, Cho said the US president's decision "serves as a very important catalyst for new development."
The Foreign Minister also said that Trump's overtures could be "a new starting point that can bring about a change in inter-Korean relations."
The decision regarding the drills does not warrant protest from Seoul, said Cho, but added that the matter has been "raised" with the US.
The meeting also centered on the potential impact joint war game reduction could have on South Korea's national security readiness posture.
Cho said the goal of this year's joint drills through Ulchi Freedom Shield to strengthen South Korea's deterrence against North Korea "could be achieved through other means," siding with the ruling Democratic Party of Korea Rep. Kim Young-ho's claim that the scaled-back joint drills could be a boon to national interest.
"I believe seizing the opportunity and facilitating North Korea-US dialogue in close cooperation with US authorities aligns with national interests," Cho added.
Some lawmakers also sought to corroborate Trump's claim on social media Sunday that Seoul had rejected Washington's offer for joint efforts over the Iran war. Trump then claimed Seoul said "No thanks."
Asked by People Power Party's Kwon whether Seoul had received a request from Washington for support in solving issues related to the Iran war, Cho said he was "currently verifying it with the US State Department and its national security authorities."
"Rather than verifying the facts about what (Trump) said, we will consult with the US side," Cho said.
He also said Seoul received "a request to cooperate for the free passage of the Strait of Hormuz," but declined to elaborate, saying he could not recall when the government received the US request.
Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon asked Cho to verify the request with the Foreign Ministry or Cheong Wa Dae, to which Cho responded, "We are consulting with the US side."
This drew a follow-up question from Han, who asked whether Trump was lying. Cho again said, "We need to consult with the US side."
Cho told Democratic Party Rep. Woo Won-shik that the matters concerning cooperation over the Iran issue and Trump's overture will be dealt with separately.
"Although there is an expression intended to pressure Korea, we will discuss that separately (from the matter of North Korea's dialogue) between Korea and the US," Cho said.
consnow@heraldcorp.com