ROK says potential DPRK-US talks to boost peace on Korean Peninsula

The Republic of Korea's (ROK) unification ministry said Tuesday that if the talks between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the United States resume, it is expected to contribute to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and to a shift toward inter-Korean reconciliation and cooperation.

Following US President Donald Trump's recent dialogue overtures, an unnamed official from the ROK unification ministry told the reporters that Seoul had stated multiple times that it would fully serve as a peacemaker to facilitate the resumption of the DPRK-US dialogue, including by dispatching a special peace envoy, according to Yonhap news agency.

The ROK's response came after Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un had responded to his request for dialogue, characterizing the current stage of communication as very positive.

Trump has said on Sunday that he had instructed the Pentagon to significantly scale back joint ROK-US military exercises. (Cover: A street view in Seoul, the Republic of Korea, August 8, 2026. /VCG)