Seoul, Dec 16 (NationPress) South Korea and the United States engaged in discussions on Tuesday aimed at aligning their North Korea policy, according to officials. This initiative appears to be complicated by discord among various ministries in Seoul.

The consultative meeting was the first of its kind since the liberal Lee Jae Myung administration took office in June. Both nations aim to enhance the currently stagnant inter-Korean relations and revive dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang, even as North Korea has consistently rejected diplomatic overtures.

Leading the discussions were Jeong Yeon-doo, the vice minister for diplomatic strategy and intelligence from the foreign ministry, along with the acting US Ambassador to South Korea, Kevin Kim.

The foreign ministry indicated that the meeting would cover a wide range of North Korea-related policies, including strategies for re-engaging with the isolated nation. The objective is to establish a regular dialogue channel.

However, the meeting coincides with growing objections from the unification ministry, which oversees inter-Korean relations. They argue that the dialogue initiated by the foreign ministry and the US could jeopardize any future prospects for reconciliation with Pyongyang.

Unification Minister Chung Dong-young and several Cabinet officials have voiced concerns that this dialogue may mirror the previous bilateral 'working group' established during the Moon Jae-in administration from 2018 to 2021.

This working group, initiated in November 2018, was designed for timely coordination between the allies on various issues concerning North Korea, including denuclearization, sanctions, and inter-Korean cooperation. The Moon government had heavily invested in improving ties with Pyongyang and facilitating nuclear negotiations between the North and the US.

Nonetheless, the working group eventually became perceived as a mechanism that hindered Seoul's peace initiatives due to its focus on compliance with international sanctions against the North, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Given its role in inter-Korean matters, the unification ministry has participated in key bilateral consultations with the US regarding North Korea.

On Monday, the unification ministry announced it would not participate in Tuesday's meeting and would engage in its own discussions with the US concerning North Korea policy as needed.

The foreign ministry emphasized that these talks serve as a follow-up to the commitments made in a joint summit fact sheet, where both nations pledged to maintain close consultations on North Korea issues.