South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday that the "ember of hope" for dialogue and cooperation with North Korea still exists. Lee made the remark during a speech at a mass held at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. Photo by Yonhap
SEOUL, June 15 (UPI) -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung reaffirmed his commitment to establishing a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula on Sunday, saying that the "ember of hope" for dialogue and cooperation with Pyongyang still exists.
Lee made the remarks during a speech at a special mass held at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, celebrated by South Korea-born Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik.
He is visiting Italy as part of his first European trip since taking office in June last year. Lee is scheduled to visit the Holy See for an audience with Pope Leo XIV on Monday.
The remarks came ahead of the 26th anniversary of the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, adopted at the end of the first-ever inter-Korean summit between then-President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il.
