The Korean Odyssey

  * On July 31, 2025, South Korea's Foreign Minister, Park Hyun, is shaking hands with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the Korea-U.S. Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the United States. ⓒ Ministry of Foreign Affairs Il Young Jeong Senior Research Fellow_Institute of Social Science_Sogang University South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sparked controversy by pushing to establish a regular policy coordination meeting with the United States on North Korea policy. At a regular press briefing on December 9, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Park Il stated that the government is working  the convening of a “regular ROK – U.S. policy coordination meeting (TF)” to discuss “overall North Korea policy, including measures for engagement with North Korea.” The Lee Jae-myung government has declared itself a government of popular sovereignty and has emphasized a North Korea policy based on the sovereignty of the people. Yet the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — rather than the mini...