South Korea's Lee urges US-North Korea talks amid signs of movement

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung urged creating conditions to resume dialogue between the United States and North Korea and transform the armistice on the Korean Peninsula into a peace regime based on cooperation and prosperity. He argued that U.S. President Donald Trump’s outreach could open space for constructive discussions and a lasting peace regime, emphasizing South Korea’s leading role in stability across Northeast Asia. Lee highlighted the need to move beyond confrontation, restore trust, and ensure that shifts in domestic or international politics do not derail peace efforts. Seoul’s intelligence agency has signaled signs of possible diplomatic movement between Washington and Pyongyang, though no direct contacts have been confirmed. Lee also reiterated the goal of transferring wartime operational control from the United States by 2030 as part of strengthening Seoul’s responsibility for peninsula peace, even as Pyongyang has resisted dialogue. The statements came as multiple appearances at the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and related events underscored a coordinated push to leverage Trump’s overtures to revive diplomacy with North Korea.