Key facts
- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated conditions must be met to restart US-North Korea dialogue.
- Lee reaffirmed his commitment to establishing a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
- Lee proposed that the two Koreas begin talks on ending their war and halting Pyongyang's nuclear program.
- Lee stressed that Seoul should create an environment for constructive discussions between the U.S. and North Korea.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung stated that conditions must be met to restart dialogue between the United States and North Korea, emphasizing the need to replace the Korean Peninsula's armistice system with a peace regime. Lee reaffirmed his commitment to establishing a permanent peace on the peninsula during a gathering of the American unit of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council in Incheon.
Lee proposed that the two Koreas begin talks on ending their long-running war and discuss practical ways to halt Pyongyang's nuclear program. He noted that the divided Koreas have technically remained at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. "To prevent tensions from rekindling due to shifts in domestic politics or changes in the international situation, (we) should replace the armistice based on conflict and confrontation with a peace regime anchored in cooperation and prosperity," Lee told the gathering.
The president stressed that Seoul should be the one to pave the way for the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue, seeking to leverage U.S. President Donald Trump's engagement with Pyongyang. "Since a possibility of a shift in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, no matter how small, has been created by President Trump's determination, we should be the one to create an environment for constructive discussions on building trust and resuming dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea," he said.