South Korea pledges to ease tensions with North Korea
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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday pledged to break what he called a "vicious cycle of unnecessary military tensions" with North Korea.
He said his government would pursue peaceful coexistence and shared growth.
Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly for the first time, Lee outlined his plan for a "phased solution" to the North Korean nuclear issue. He noted this was "based on a cool-headed perception that denuclearisation cannot be achieved in the short term."
Lee stressed that Seoul would "consistently seek a path to reduce military tensions and restore inter-Korean trust." He pointed to steps already taken, such as halting propaganda leaflets and loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North. "By gradually expanding inter-Korean exchanges in cooperation, we will pave the way for sustainable peace," he said.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, however, dismissed any phased approach.
On Sunday, Kim said offers of dialogue from Washington and Seoul were insincere, claiming their intent remained to weaken Pyongyang. He added there was no reason to avoid talks with the U.S. if Washington dropped its demand that he abandon nuclear weapons, but insisted he would never give up the arsenal to end U.S.-led sanctions.
Kim also said he would not engage in dialogue with Seoul. Still, he recalled having "fond memories" of U.S. President Donald Trump, with whom he held several summits during Trump’s first term. Those talks collapsed over U.S. denuclearisation demands.
Trump said last month he hoped to meet Kim this year. But in his own 55-minute address to the U.N. on Tuesday, the U.S. president made no mention of North Korea.