South Korea Backs Trump's North Korea Outreach, Warns Against Being Sidelined

South Korea has expressed support for the Trump administration's diplomatic outreach to North Korea, but has cautioned that any resumption of talks must lead to substantive progress on the nuclear issue and must not compromise the country's security readiness. Wi Sung-lac, a South Korean official, told reporters on Friday that policy coordination and communication between Seoul and Washington are more important than ever to ensure that any dialogue results in meaningful advancements on denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime on the Korean peninsula. He also emphasized that Seoul should not be "sidelined" in the process. The statement comes amid ongoing joint US-South Korean military exercises, as depicted in a photo taken on August 20 in Yeoncheon, South Korea.