Key Points

"In preparation for the South Korea-US summit, the ministry is closely consulting with relevant bodies (on bilateral cooperation) for peace on the Korean Peninsula and the resumption of inter-Korean ties," Chang Yoon-jeong, Deputy Spokesperson at the ministry, said during a regular press briefing.

Her remarks came shortly after Unification Minister Chung Dong-young told a media outlet that his ministry will draft a proposal on North Korea to be presented during a summit between President Lee Jae Myung and US President Donald Trump, scheduled for later this month, Yonhap news agency reported.

Chung did not elaborate further but compared the envisioned proposal to "MASGA," or "Make America Shipbuilding Great Again," a phrase used by the South Korean negotiating team during a recent tariff reduction deal with Washington to underscore its commitment to supporting the revival of the US shipbuilding industry. MASGA was reported to have played a pivotal role in clinching the deal by appealing to Trump's special interests.

Chang also reaffirmed that Seoul remains open to dialogue with North Korea aimed at peacefully resolving North Korean nuclear issues and that it supports the resumption of talks between Washington and Pyongyang.

"Both South Korea and the US share the position that they are open to dialogue with North Korea to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula and peacefully resolve North Korean nuclear issues," she noted.

"The government has repeatedly said that it proactively supports the resumption of North Korea-US talks," she added, in response to remarks by the US State Department acting deputy assistant secretary Seth Bailey, who said Washington takes "with interest" a recent statement by Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of the North Korean leader.

In her statement last week, Kim suggested North Korea is open to diplomacy with the US, as long as it is not aimed at the country's "complete denuclearisation."

- IANS