Lee vows efforts to help swiftly resume U.S.-N. Korea dialogue

박보람 / 2026-09-23 05:01:11

S Korean president-UN address

▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with his key aides in Seoul on Sept. 21, 2026. (Pool Photo) (Yonhap)

By Park Boram

NEW YORK, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his envisioned role as a "pacemaker" in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, pledging efforts to help swiftly resume dialogue between the United States and North Korea.

The South Korean president made the pledge in his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to revive his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while inter-Korean relations remain at a standstill.

"I hope the long-suspended dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. can resume without delay," Lee said.

"We will lay the groundwork for this (U.S.-North Korea dialogue) to develop into a dialogue between the related parties to end the war on the Korean Peninsula and transition into a peace regime."

The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

"Fortunately, President Trump's resolve has recently created a hard-won opportunity for change," Lee said, referring to Trump's repeated expressions of interest in dialogue with the North Korean leader.

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