President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a meeting of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council’s 22nd Eurasia Regional Assembly in Incheon on July 1, 2026. (pool photo)
“North Korea may have locked the gates, but we’ve got to keep knocking,” South Korean President Lee Jae Myung said on Wednesday, underlining his commitment to improving inter-Korean relations.“All doors open if you knock long enough,” he added.Lee was speaking at a meeting of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council’s 22nd Eurasia Regional Assembly in Incheon on Wednesday.“We all know that achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula is a complicated and challenging task. But challenging doesn’t mean impossible,” the South Korean leader said.Lee recalled a conversation he had on his visit to Europe last month. “I told European leaders a while back that inter-Korean relations are tough, but that if you knock, the door will open. They pointed out that that’s a quote from the Bible, so I guess I was speaking the Gospel truth,” he said.The president underscored once more that he has no intention to seek reunification with North Korea through absorption. “Since taking office, I have time and time again vowed to respect the North’s system, to not pursue unification through absorption, and to refrain from any and all hostile acts,” he said. “I will stay true to my word.”“Now is the time to act for peace,” Lee said. “We will search for and find a path for North and South Korea to respect one another’s systems and sovereignty and coexist in peace. Though this may take time, we will never give up.” “The world is watching the Korean Peninsula. To usher in an era of the ‘Korea premium,’ we must transition from an armistice regime to a peace regime,” the president went on. “I am certain that if North and South lay down their hostilities and confrontation and choose peace instead, we will be able to achieve more than ever before,” Lee said. By Goh Gyoung-ju, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
