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President Lee Jae-myung delivers encouraging remarks at the 22nd Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) Americas Regional Meeting held at Inspire Resort in Yeongjongdo, Incheon, on the 2nd. / Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung said on the 2nd that "as U.S. President Donald Trump's decision has created the potential for shifts in the Korean Peninsula landscape, we must build conditions for confidence-building and the resumption of dialogue." Amid growing talk of resuming dialogue between the U.S. and North Korea, the remarks are interpreted as signaling South Korea's intent to actively take the lead in fostering conditions for discussions on peaceful coexistence on the peninsula.

President Lee made the statement during encouraging remarks at the Peace and Coexistence Policy Dialogue of the 22nd Peaceful Unification Advisory Council (PUAC) Americas Regional Meeting held at Inspire Resort on Yeongjong Island, Incheon, stressing, "Peace on the Korean Peninsula is not solely our issue. It is a core task for stability in nearby Northeast Asia and for peace around the world."

While emphasizing efforts to establish conditions for resuming U.S.-North Korea talks, President Lee also underscored South Korea's responsibility as a primary party to the security of the peninsula, stating, "As a direct party to this critical task, we will fulfill that responsibility through the transition of wartime operational control (OPCON)."

He also addressed the reality of the protracted freeze in inter-Korean relations. "The South and the North, which should be closest to each other, remain completely cut off," President Lee remarked, pointing out that "we are squandering energy that could be used to move forward together on confronting and opposing each other." He emphasized that "this is a harrowing reality that must be changed," adding, "A wall that has stood for over 80 years will not crumble by waiting. That is why we must act."

President Lee stated, "We must move deliberately without rushing, with our destination clearly defined," once again bringing forward the three blueprints for peaceful coexistence he outlined in his Liberation Day address last month.

He described these pillars as "inclusive peaceful coexistence that tears down division and takes action; stable peaceful coexistence that removes tension-inducing factors to secure tangible safety; and responsible peaceful coexistence that contributes to global peace by realizing peace on the Korean Peninsula."

Furthermore, President Lee proposed mutual respect as the starting point for inclusive peaceful coexistence. He noted, "Peace does not stem from everyone thinking alike, but from respecting mutual differences," adding, "It is about listening to differing views and learning how to live together."

He concluded, "The Republic of Korea has now become an irreplaceable nation to which the world extends its hand first. The clock on inter-Korean dialogue has been frozen for seven years, the wall has grown higher, and the path ahead is unseen. Yet, we must still forge ahead. If we take the lead, that very step becomes the path."

                                                                                                        Park Young-hoon