Lee vows efforts to help swiftly resume US-N. Korea dialogue

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged in New York on Tuesday that dialogue between the United States and North Korea resume without delay. Speaking at the 81st U.N. General Assembly, he reaffirmed South Korea’s role as a pacemaker for peace on the Korean Peninsula. He also called for phased denuclearization, U.N. reform and broader cooperation on AI, energy supply chains and other global challenges.

Lee said South Korea will seek a phased approach to North Korea’s denuclearization, starting with a halt and then reductions in nuclear and missile capabilities.

He asked the U.N. and its Security Council to play a responsible and constructive role in efforts to sustain dialogue.

Lee said South Korea hopes to cooperate with North Korea in the international community on public health, disaster response and the climate crisis.

He proposed a Partnership of Constructive Contributors to promote cooperation on energy supply chains amid the Strait of Hormuz conflict.

Lee said South Korea will support reform of the U.N. Security Council and the U.N. 80 Initiative.

Published Sep 23, 2026 5:16 am KST

Updated Sep 23, 2026 8:34 am KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly at the U.N. Headquarters in New York City, Sept. 22. AFP-Yonhap

NEW YORK — South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his envisioned role as a "pacemaker" in establishing peace on the Korean Peninsula, pledging efforts to help swiftly resume dialogue between the United States and North Korea.

The South Korean president made the pledge in his address to the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, as U.S. President Donald Trump seeks to revive his diplomacy with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, while inter-Korean relations remain at a standstill.

"I hope the long-suspended dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. can resume without delay," Lee said.

"We will lay the groundwork for this (U.S.-North Korea dialogue) to develop into a dialogue between the related parties to end the war on the Korean Peninsula and transition into a peace regime."

The two Koreas remain technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty.

"Fortunately, President Trump's resolve has recently created a hard-won opportunity for change," Lee said, referring to Trump's repeated expressions of interest in dialogue with the North Korean leader.

Lee said he is confident that such dialogue can provide a framework for normalizing relations among relevant parties and promoting stability and cooperation in Northeast Asia.

As South Korea pursues such efforts, it will also seek the denuclearization of North Korea through a phased approach, beginning with a halt and then reductions in the country's nuclear and missile capabilities, and eventually working toward a Korean Peninsula free from nuclear weapons, he said.

"As a direct party to peace on the Korean Peninsula, and as a pacemaker, my government will exert every effort to open and sustain the path toward dialogue," Lee said, also asking for a responsible and constructive role from the U.N. and its Security Council.

Reiterating his commitment to seeking "peaceful coexistence" with North Korea, the South Korean president said his administration will push for inclusive, stable and responsible coexistence, which he said will respect the North's system, build inter-Korean trust and promote stability and cooperation in Northeast Asia.

"We will continue to respect the North on the international stage and seek cooperation wherever possible. We hope that opportunities will emerge for us to work together in the international community, in areas such as public health, disaster response and the climate crisis," he said.

Stressing global unity to address common challenges facing humanity, Lee set out three visions under what he described as a "K-Initiative" to contribute to resolving issues stemming from the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.

Lee stressed that while the AI revolution drives new prosperity, it may also deepen inequality and imbalance unless proper responses are taken, including addressing low youth employment.

"We will take the lead in shaping AI into a tool for solving the shared challenges we face, such as the climate crisis, public health, food insecurity and refugee issues," the president said, also pledging efforts to ensure all countries and individuals have access to the benefits of AI development.

Under the initiative, Lee also proposed building a "Partnership of Constructive Contributors" aimed at promoting cooperation on energy supply chains amid a supply chain crisis stemming from the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz.

The conflict "has underscored the stark reality that the weaponization of key energy and logistics supply routes can send severe shockwaves to the lives of ordinary people around the world," he said.

"Attacks on merchant vessels and threats to the lives and safety of crew members cannot be justified under any circumstances," the president added.

Additionally, the president pledged to transform his country's industrial structure under the "Korea Green Transformation" strategy to turn carbon neutrality into new growth engines and create more jobs.

Lee also called for efforts to reform the United Nations, saying, "We must reduce duplication across organizations and programs, accelerate decision-making, and direct limited resources where they are needed the most," and voicing support for the "U.N. 80 Initiative."

The initiative, launched by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres last year, calls for a system-wide reform plan

"We also support the reform of the U.N. Security Council, so that it operates in a more effective, democratic and accountable manner," Lee added.

韩国总统李在明周二在纽约敦促美朝立即恢复对话。他在第81届联合国大会上发表讲话时重申，韩国在朝鲜半岛和平进程中发挥着推动作用。他还呼吁分阶段实现无核化、改革联合国，并在人工智能、能源供应链和其他全球性挑战领域开展更广泛的合作。

李表示，韩国将寻求分阶段推进朝鲜无核化，首先是停止发展核武器和导弹能力，然后逐步削减。

他要求联合国及其安全理事会在维持对话的努力中发挥负责任和建设性的作用。

李表示，韩国希望在国际社会与朝鲜在公共卫生、灾害应对和气候危机等方面开展合作。

在霍尔木兹海峡冲突期间，他提议建立建设性贡献者伙伴关系，以促进能源供应链方面的合作。

李表示，韩国将支持联合国安理会改革和联合国80周年倡议。

发布于2026年9月23日凌晨5:16（韩国标准时间）

更新于2026年9月23日上午8:34（韩国标准时间）

9月22日，李在明总统在纽约联合国总部出席第81届联合国大会并发表讲话。（法新社-韩联社）

纽约——韩国总统李在明周二重申了他设想的在朝鲜半岛建立和平进程中扮演“推动者”的角色，并承诺将努力帮助美国和朝鲜迅速恢复对话。

韩国总统在纽约举行的第81届联合国大会上发表讲话时作出了这一承诺。与此同时，美国总统唐纳德·特朗普正寻求恢复与朝鲜领导人金正恩的外交关系，而朝韩关系仍然处于停滞状态。

李说：“我希望朝鲜和美国之间长期中断的对话能够尽快恢复。”

“我们将为此（美朝对话）奠定基础，使其发展成为有关各方之间的对话，以结束朝鲜半岛战争并过渡到和平机制。”

由于 1950-53 年的朝鲜战争以停战协定而非和平条约结束，因此朝鲜半岛南北双方在技术上仍处于战争状态。

李说：“幸运的是，特朗普总统的决心最近为变革创造了一个来之不易的机会。”他指的是特朗普多次表示有兴趣与朝鲜领导人对话。

李表示，他相信这样的对话可以为有关各方关系正常化以及促进东北亚地区的稳定与合作提供框架。

他说，韩国在努力实现这些目标的同时，也将通过分阶段的方式寻求朝鲜的无核化，首先是停止并逐步削减朝鲜的核武器和导弹能力，最终努力实现朝鲜半岛无核武器的目标。

李明博表示：“作为朝鲜半岛和平进程的直接参与方和推动者，我国政府将尽一切努力开辟和维持对话之路。”他还要求联合国及其安理会发挥负责任和建设性的作用。

韩国总统重申了他致力于与朝鲜寻求“和平共处”的承诺，并表示他的政府将推动包容、稳定和负责任的共处，这将尊重朝鲜的制度，建立朝韩互信，并促进东北亚的稳定与合作。

他说：“我们将继续在国际舞台上尊重北方国家，并在一切可能的地方寻求合作。我们希望有机会在国际社会中，在公共卫生、灾害应对和气候危机等领域开展合作。”

李光耀强调全球团结应对人类面临的共同挑战，提出了他称之为“K倡议”的三大愿景，旨在为解决人工智能（AI）的出现和霍尔木兹海峡冲突所引发的问题做出贡献。

李强调，人工智能革命在推动新繁荣的同时，也可能加剧不平等和不平衡，除非采取适当的应对措施，包括解决青年就业率低的问题。

总统表示：“我们将率先将人工智能打造成为解决我们共同面临的挑战的工具，例如气候危机、公共卫生、粮食不安全和难民问题。”他还承诺将努力确保所有国家和个人都能享受到人工智能发展带来的好处。

根据这项倡议，李还提议建立一个“建设性贡献者伙伴关系”，旨在促进能源供应链方面的合作，以应对霍尔木兹海峡冲突引发的供应链危机。

他说：“这场冲突凸显了一个严峻的现实，那就是关键能源和后勤供应路线的武器化会对世界各地普通民众的生活造成严重冲击。”

总统补充说：“在任何情况下，袭击商船和威胁船员生命安全都是不可辩解的。”

此外，总统承诺在“韩国绿色转型”战略下改造国家产业结构，将碳中和转化为新的增长引擎，创造更多就业机会。

李还呼吁努力改革联合国，他说：“我们必须减少各组织和方案之间的重复工作，加快决策速度，并将有限的资源用于最需要的地方”，并表示支持“联合国80周年倡议”。

这项由联合国秘书长安东尼奥·古特雷斯去年发起的倡议，呼吁制定一项全系统改革计划。

李补充说：“我们也支持对联合国安理会进行改革，使其以更有效、更民主、更负责任的方式运作。”