President Lee Jae-myung urged for the swift resumption of long-stalled U.S.-North Korea dialogue on September 22 during a keynote speech at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York. He proposed a phased approach to denuclearization, starting with a halt to North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities, followed by reductions, and ultimately achieving a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula.
In his address, President Lee stated, "Recently, the will of U.S. President Donald Trump has created a difficult opportunity for change," expressing hope for the immediate resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, which has been on hold for an extended period.
He added, "I will lay the groundwork for U.S.-North Korea dialogue to evolve into discussions among the parties to end the Korean War and transition to a peace regime."
President Lee emphasized that dialogue aimed at establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula would not only normalize relations among relevant countries but also serve as a valuable framework for promoting joint growth and stability in Northeast Asia.
Regarding the North Korean nuclear issue, he formalized a step-by-step approach, stating, "In this process, we will first halt the further enhancement of North Korea's nuclear and missile capabilities, then reduce them in the medium term, and ultimately move toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula."
This plan maintains the ultimate goal of complete denuclearization while considering the reality of North Korea's expanding nuclear capabilities, proposing a sequence of "halt enhancement → reduction → denuclearization." It also indicates a desire to initiate discussions on ending the war and transitioning to a peace regime alongside U.S.-North Korea dialogue.
President Lee affirmed the South Korean government's role, stating, "As a direct party to peace on the Korean Peninsula and a facilitator, I will do everything possible to open and sustain the path for dialogue."
He presented three key blueprints for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula: 'inclusive peaceful coexistence' based on mutual respect, 'stable peaceful coexistence' through institutionalized crisis prevention and conflict management, and 'responsible peaceful coexistence' contributing to peace in Northeast Asia and globally.
He particularly noted, "We will seek ways for joint growth through cooperation while respecting each other's systems and acknowledging differences," and expressed intentions to promote cooperation with North Korea in areas such as health, disaster response, and climate crisis on the international stage.
Restoring basic communication channels and building trust between the two Koreas was also presented as the first step toward stable peaceful coexistence.
President Lee urged the United Nations and the Security Council, stating, "I hope that the UN, which created a turning point for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula 35 years ago, and the Security Council, which has maintained peace and stability in the international community, will once again play a responsible and constructive role."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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