At the summit between the leaders of the United States and South Korea, the South Korean president called on South Korea, North Korea, the United States, and China to establish a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated at the UN General Assembly that establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula is a topic that has long been discussed based on consensus among relevant parties—including the United States and China—as well as between the two Koreas; the core task is to end the long-standing state of war on the peninsula and establish a peace regime.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee made these remarks on Tuesday (September 22) while attending and delivering a speech at the General Debate of the 81st UN General Assembly in New York.
He indicated that the decision made by U.S. President Trump had created a rare turning point for dialogue with North Korea; South Korea, for its part, would strive to facilitate the early resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue and create conditions for all parties to engage in discussions on ending the war and transitioning to a peace regime.
He emphasized his belief that these dialogues would not only help normalize relations among the parties involved but also foster shared development—as well as stability and cooperation in Northeast Asia—through multilateral collaboration.
Taking advantage of the gathering of world leaders for the UN General Assembly, Lee met with Trump for approximately half an hour that same day. Officials from the South Korean presidential office stated that the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. agreed to cooperate closely to push for the resumption of dialogue with North Korea; Trump reiterated his willingness to engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump met with Kim Jong Un multiple times during his first term in office but ultimately failed to reach an agreement; while he has frequently expressed a willingness to hold talks with Kim again, the North Korean leader has consistently declined to meet.
He emphasized his belief that these dialogues would not only help normalize relations among the parties involved but also foster shared development—as well as stability and cooperation in Northeast Asia—through multilateral collaboration.
Taking advantage of the gathering of world leaders for the UN General Assembly, Lee met with Trump for approximately half an hour that same day. Officials from the South Korean presidential office stated that the leaders of South Korea and the U.S. agreed to cooperate closely to push for the resumption of dialogue with North Korea; Trump reiterated his willingness to engage with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump met with Kim Jong Un multiple times during his first term in office but ultimately failed to reach an agreement; while he has frequently expressed a willingness to hold talks with Kim again, the North Korean leader has consistently declined to meet.
Lee Jae-myung also reiterated the three key principles of his policy toward North Korea: “inclusive peaceful coexistence,” “stable peaceful coexistence without conflict,” and “peaceful coexistence that contributes to global peace.”
He also outlined a “three-stage denuclearization process”—namely “freeze, reduction, and dismantlement.” Expressing hope that the UN and the UN Security Council would play responsible and constructive roles, he stated that South Korea—as a direct party to peace on the peninsula and a “front-runner” in the process—would spare no effort to advance dialogue with North Korea.