Seoul fears US-Kim talks will sideline South Korea — SkimNews
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- North Korea planted a landmine on the southern side of the border that exploded and injured three South Korean soldiers, then conducted multiple weapons tests and moved artillery toward the border
- North Korea fired around 10 short-range ballistic missiles toward the Sea of Japan just before German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit to Seoul
- US signaled plans for Trump to resume talks with Kim Jong Un, possibly on November 18 in Shenzhen during the APEC summit, raising fears of a diplomatic bypass
- South Korea faces growing internal concern that the US may recognize North Korea as a nuclear power and strike a deal allowing it to keep short-range weapons targeting the South
- Germany's Merz stated that Korean security affects European security, advocating for an alliance of middle powers amid shared concerns over US unpredictability and autocratic power politics
- Kim Sang-woo of the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation said trust between Washington and Seoul has eroded, with South Korean diplomats losing access to key White House decision-makers
Why it matters: South Korea risks being excluded from high-level diplomacy on its own security while facing intensified threats from the North. The US push for a breakthrough with Pyongyang—without Seoul at the table—undermines extended deterrence guarantees and strengthens domestic calls for South Korea to develop its own nuclear deterrent.
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