Speaking at a special Mass for peace and solidarity at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Lee framed his administration's North Korea policy as one rooted in dialogue, trust-building and tension reduction, while acknowledging that relations between the two Koreas have deteriorated sharply in recent years.
"I firmly believe the ember of that hope is still alive," Lee said, referring to the June 15, 2000 inter-Korean summit and joint declaration that ushered in an unprecedented period of exchanges between the two sides.
The remarks came as Lee seeks to revive diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula nearly a year after taking office, while North Korea has shown little interest in responding to Seoul's outreach efforts.
Since assuming office last June, Lee's administration has suspended anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker broadcasts and moved to halt civilian leaflet campaigns across the border, describing the measures as steps aimed at reducing military tensions and rebuilding trust.
Lee reiterated Sunday that his government does not seek reunification through absorption or ideological confrontation.
"We have made it clear that we do not pursue absorption-based unification or unilateral system competition," he said.
"We will continue efforts to prevent accidental clashes between the South and the North and restore military trust."
He added that his administration would do "everything possible" to move beyond the armistice regime and establish a durable peace framework on the peninsula.
The conciliatory message stands in contrast to North Korea's increasingly hostile posture toward the South.
Pyongyang has declared inter-Korean relations to be those between two separate and hostile states, dismantled symbols of reconciliation and remained steadfast in its refusal to discuss denuclearization. It has also largely ignored Seoul's repeated calls for dialogue since Lee took office.
In a statement carried Saturday by the state-run Korean Central News Agency, a spokesperson for the North Korean Foreign Ministry's Bureau 10 said South Korea remains "an invariable enemy state obsessed with hostility and confrontation" and vowed that Pyongyang's policy toward Seoul would not change.
Lee acknowledged that the Korean Peninsula has slipped back into what he described as "an era of disconnection."
"South and North Korea, which once spoke of peace and prosperity together, have returned to a period of rupture," he said. "The channels of communication that connected the two sides have been closed, and distrust and tensions remain."
Yet Lee argued that South Korea's own modern history demonstrates that seemingly entrenched divisions can be overcome.
"The Korean people have repeatedly overcome crises without abandoning their faith in peace and democracy," he said. "Even in times of turmoil, they illuminated darkness not with weapons but with peace, not with violence but with solidarity."
The special Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik, the highest-ranking Korean official in the Catholic Church, under the theme of peace and solidarity. Lee and First Lady Kim Hye Kyung attended alongside Vatican officials and members of the Korean Catholic community.
Linking the Korean Peninsula to wider global instability, Lee pointed to the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and renewed violence in the Middle East as evidence that the international community faces mounting uncertainty and division.
"The world is facing deeper conflict and uncertainty than ever before," he said.
Lee thanked the Holy See for its longstanding support for peace and reconciliation efforts on the Korean Peninsula, expressing hope that peace in Korea could contribute to global stability and that international solidarity could in turn strengthen peace on the peninsula.
"I hope we can create a virtuous cycle in which peace on the Korean Peninsula contributes to world peace, and global solidarity strengthens peace on the peninsula," he said.
Invoking a passage from the Book of Isaiah — "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks" — Lee called for a world where instruments of war are transformed into tools that sustain life.
He also sought Vatican support for the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul, expressing hope that young people from around the world would gather beyond the barriers of conflict, ideology and national borders.
Lee is scheduled to meet Pope Leo XIV on Monday, where peace on the Korean Peninsula and broader international security issues are expected to feature prominently in discussions.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.