President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a meeting of the American unit of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council held at Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon on Sept. 2, 2026. (pool photo)
President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that South Korea should help “create the conditions for constructive talks” to rebuild trust and revive dialogue between North Korea and the United States.“President Trump’s resolve has opened the door, however slightly, to the possibility of change on the Korean Peninsula,” he said.Lee made the remarks at a policy dialogue on peaceful coexistence held as part of a meeting of the American unit of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, which took place at Inspire Entertainment Resort in Incheon.“The South and the North should be closer than anyone else, yet they remain completely cut off from each other,” he said. “This wall has been built up over more than 80 years. It won’t come down simply by waiting. That’s why we must act.”At the same time, he cautioned against moving too quickly, saying, “We shouldn’t rush — we must move forward with a clear sense of where we’re headed.”Lee reiterated a three-part vision for peaceful coexistence that he outlined in his Liberation Day address last month. “To achieve stable and responsible peaceful coexistence, we must transform the armistice system, which is premised on confrontation and conflict, into a peace regime that can provide a foundation for cooperation and prosperity,” he said. In his address on Aug. 15, which Koreans celebrate as Liberation Day, Lee called for multilateral discussions aimed at formally ending the Korean War and laid out three ideals: inclusive peaceful coexistence built on mutual respect, stable peaceful coexistence that eliminates the need for conflict, and responsible peaceful coexistence that contributes to world peace.Lee also reaffirmed his commitment to regaining wartime operational control (OPCON) of the Korean military, which is currently held by an American commander.“Peace on the Korean Peninsula is bigger than us. It’s a critical task for stability in Northeast Asia and, more broadly, for world peace,” Lee said.“As a direct stakeholder in this momentous task, we will fulfill our responsibility by recovering OPCON.”By Seo Young-ji, staff reporterPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
