Lee vows efforts to restart US–North Korea talks 'as early as possible' at New Year's press conference

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during his New Year’s press conference held at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung reiterated his commitment to resuming dialogue between the US and North Korea “as early as possible” and to creating conditions for the reopening of inter-Korean talks, during his New Year’s press conference on Wednesday.

The event marked Lee’s first official press conference since the presidential office was relocated back to Cheong Wa Dae in late December last year.

As part of his policy vision for 2026, Lee stressed that “stable growth supported by peace” was essential for South Korea’s next phase of economic development, saying it would enable the economy to “take another leap forward and move steadily toward a future of peaceful coexistence and shared growth.”

Lee said South Korea would act as a “pacemaker” in diplomacy, pledging to “pursue diplomatic efforts to facilitate the resumption of US–North Korea dialogue as early as possible,” while also working to reopen channels of communication between the two Koreas. During the first summit with US President Donald Trump in Washington in August, Lee pledged that Seoul would serve as a "pacemaker" to help Trump play a role as a "peacemaker" in diplomacy with Pyongyang.

To reduce the risk of unintended military conflict and rebuild trust, Lee said his administration would “work toward restoring the Sept. 19 Military Agreement,” describing it as a necessary step to prevent accidental clashes and rebuild political and military confidence between the two sides. The Sept. 19 military agreement, signed in 2018 by the two Koreas, was designed to reduce military tensions by establishing confidence-building measures and buffer zones along border areas, including the Demilitarized Zone.

Acknowledging the limits of short-term progress, Lee cautioned that “the sharp chill will not thaw overnight,” but vowed to “consistently pursue practical measures that can elicit a response from the North and ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” while continuing to explore “creative solutions that make peace beneficial for both Koreas.”