DP leader vows support for Lee's efforts to promote dialogue with N. Korea

SEOUL, August 21 - The ruling Democratic Party (DP) leader, Kim Min-seok, pledged his party's backing for President Lee Jae Myung's initiatives to foster communication between the United States and North Korea. This statement followed the reduction in a significant military exercise between Seoul and Washington, a decision attributed to President Donald Trump, who reportedly aimed to ease tensions with North Korea.

Kim acknowledged during a DP supreme council meeting that the U.S., China, and North Korea's positions were experiencing complex shifts, leading to various changes in the situation on the Korean Peninsula. The DP leader assured that they would actively pursue party-to-party diplomacy by visiting the U.S., China, and Japan by the end of the year, as the U.S. midterm elections are slated for November.

Kim emphasized the importance of engaging in bilateral diplomacy, stating that South Korea and the U.S. were concluding the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise nearly a week ahead of schedule. Despite this, North Korea dismissed the scaled-down exercise, maintaining its stance that it does not alter the confrontational nature of the original plan.

President Lee has publicly expressed his respect for Trump's efforts to establish a dialogue with North Korea, vowing to support the U.S. president's role as a "peacemaker" by lending his efforts as a "pacemaker."