A foreign ministry official said South Korea-U.S. discussions on declaring a formal end to the Korean War are being carried out in a speedy and sincere manner in a mutually desirable direction.
The official made the remark to reporters on Thursday while saying diplomacy is the process of narrowing differences while also expanding joint understanding and common ground.
The official’s comment came as U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said earlier on Tuesday that Seoul and Washington may have “somewhat different perspectives” on the sequence, timing and conditions for different steps to bring North Korea back to dialogue.
Observers speculated that the remarks, which were the first official comments by the U.S. on the war-ending proposal, indicate possible lingering differences over the issue between the two countries.
Deputy spokesperson for the foreign ministry Ahn Eun-joo talked about Sullivan’s remarks during a briefing on Thursday, saying Seoul and Washington fundamentally share the same stance on key strategic proposals.
She said there is a need to understand Sullivan’s remarks in a comprehensive and balanced manner.