Lee Promises South Korea Will Aid Restart of US‑North Korea Dialogue

President Lee Jae‑myung told lawmakers on 18 September that South Korea will play a proactive role in encouraging the United States and North Korea to resume stalled negotiations. Speaking at a national assembly ceremony that honored the 2018 Pyongyang Joint Declaration, Lee warned that the cease‑fire that ended the Korean War in 1953 is no longer sufficient to guarantee regional security.

He cited the recent acceleration of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal and the deterioration of inter‑Korean talks as evidence that the current status quo is untenable. Nonetheless, Lee expressed confidence that diplomatic channels between Pyongyang and Washington are showing early signs of revival.

“The government will exhaust every diplomatic avenue to ensure that renewed US‑North Korea talks take place, and to transform those talks into a comprehensive peace process for the peninsula,” Lee said, echoing the language of his senior adviser who read the speech.

Lee concluded by reaffirming South Korea’s commitment to treating the 2018 agreement as a pivotal reference point for all future peace‑building measures.