President Lee Pledges Support for North Korea-U.S. Dialogue

President Lee has reaffirmed South Korea's dedication to fostering peace on the Korean Peninsula, positioning the nation as a "pacemaker" in facilitating dialogue between North Korea and the United States. Speaking at the Global Korean Peninsula Forum (GKF) in Seoul, Lee emphasized that "inclusive peaceful coexistence, stable peaceful coexistence, and responsible peaceful coexistence all start with mutual respect between the South and the North."

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The Republic of Korea, as a party to peace on the Korean Peninsula and a pacemaker, will work tirelessly to support the North Korea-U.S. in building trust and resuming dialogue, and to realize a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee acknowledged the challenges, noting that "the path to peace is not smooth" and that North Korea continues to maintain an "adversarial stance" despite South Korea's efforts to ease military tensions and reopen dialogue. However, he stressed that this should not deter efforts toward peace, stating, "This cannot be a reason to stop our efforts toward peace on the Korean Peninsula." He called for a collaborative approach, asserting that "when the solution is not easily visible, it is even more necessary to put our heads together and find a way."

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Inclusive peaceful coexistence, stable peaceful coexistence, and responsible peaceful coexistence all start with mutual respect between the South and the North. We must create a Korean Peninsula that has no need to fight through dialogue and cooperation based on respect.

Unification Minister Jeong Dong-young echoed this sentiment, highlighting South Korea's role in initiating North Korea-U.S. dialogue. He viewed U.S. President Donald Trump's recent directive to scale back joint military exercises as a "window of opportunity." Jeong urged South Korea to act proactively, not passively, to ensure the success of North Korea-U.S. talks. He further proposed expanding these discussions into a four-party dialogue involving South Korea, North Korea, the U.S., and China, which he believes is the fundamental solution to transitioning the unstable armistice regime into a lasting peace regime.

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The path to peace is not smooth, and although our government is making efforts to ease military tensions and resume dialogue, the North Korean side still adheres to an adversarial stance.

Minister Jeong also suggested that a past approach focusing on complete denuclearization might no longer be sustainable. He called for a government-wide effort to develop concrete plans for discussing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula. The forum underscored a renewed push for diplomatic engagement, aiming to de-escalate tensions and establish a stable peace framework.

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This cannot be a reason to stop our efforts toward peace on the Korean Peninsula. When the solution is not easily visible, it is even more necessary to put our heads together and find a way.