Lee vows ‘pacemaker’ role as potential US-N.Korea talks offer hope for inter-Korean breakthrough

President Lee Jae Myung has emphasized his role as "a pacemaker" amid potential North Korea-US summit discussions in November. Comparing American President Donald Trump to a "peacemaker," Lee sees the proposed talks as an opportunity to establish a foundation for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. On X, Lee expressed empathy for Trump's efforts to create conditions for peace talks, even if it means reducing South Korea-US military exercises and field training.

Trump recently ordered the exercises to be scaled back, citing his good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his dissatisfaction with the US's long-standing participation in Joint Military Exercises with South Korea. Lee pledged his commitment to playing the role of pacemaker and contributing to Trump's efforts as a peacemaker.

He aims to build confidence, resume dialogue between the US and North Korea, and pave the way for a stable peace regime on the peninsula. During their August summit, Lee proposed that South Korea serve as a pacemaker for US-North Korea dialogue, supporting denuclearization efforts and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean government agencies have pledged their support for initiating US-North Korea dialogue, with the Ministry of Unification advocating for talks between stakeholders to end the war and transition to a peace regime. Unification Minister Chung Dong-young emphasized the urgency of the first step: the meeting between the US and North Korea, while the Ministry of Foreign Affairs vowed to actively pursue restarting North Korea-US dialogue and Korean peace, cooperating closely with the US.

Lee's remarks may be a response to criticism over Seoul being overlooked in US efforts to engage with North Korea, particularly following the reduction in joint military drills, which has stirred criticism from some conservatives in Korea regarding the alliance's weakening.