▲ President Lee Jae Myung (L) sings the national anthem during a ceremony marking the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement at the COEX exhibition center in Seoul on March 1, 2026. (Yonhap)
▲ President Lee Jae Myung delivers a commemorative address during a ceremony marking the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement at the COEX exhibition center in Seoul on March 1, 2026. (Yonhap)

(LEAD) Lee-Independence Movement

(LEAD) Lee urges N. Korea to resume dialogue, join in shaping 'new future'

(ATTN: ADDS more info from 7th para, photo)

By Yi Wonju

SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday urged North Korea to return to the negotiating table with the United States and join efforts to shape what he called a "new future," vowing to actively communicate with Washington and neighboring countries.

Lee made the remark in his first address marking the March 1 Independence Movement at the COEX exhibition center in southern Seoul as he marked the 107th anniversary of the nation's 1919 independence movement, a watershed event during Japan's 1910-45 brutal occupation of the Korean Peninsula.

"Since North Korea is formulating and implementing a new five-year plan, I hope that it will swiftly return to the negotiating table and join us in shaping a new future," he said, stressing that "hostility and confrontation serve neither side's interests."

"As a 'pacemaker,' we will communicate with the United States and neighboring countries to ensure that dialogue between North Korea and the United States resumes as soon as possible," he added.

Lee emphasized that his administration respects the North Korean system and will not pursue any form of unification by absorption nor engage in any hostile acts.

North Korea dismissed dialogue with Seoul but appeared to leave the door open for talks with Washington at a key party congress last month, where it unveiled the country's five-year plans and goals for key sectors, including national defense and foreign affairs.

In his speech, Lee also called on South Korea and Japan to step up bilateral cooperation based on the values of peace and joint prosperity while squarely facing history.

"Our relationship with Japan must also move forward based on the spirit of the March First Independence Movement, which was driven by the pursuit of peace and coprosperity, Lee said. "Through pragmatic diplomacy, the government of popular sovereignty will do everything possible to squarely face the past, jointly address present challenges and move forward into the future."

Lee has pledged to pursue a "two-track" approach to diplomacy with Japan by expanding future-oriented cooperation while continuing to address unresolved wartime history issues stemming from Japan's colonial rule of Korea.

He further stressed the importance of deepening trilateral cooperation among Korea, China and Japan, saying harmony in Northeast Asia is "more crucial than ever."

"Reflecting on the significance of peace and harmony in Northeast Asia, I emphasized the need for Korea, China and Japan to find common ground, communicate and cooperate during my back-to-back visits to China and Japan at the start of this year," he said.

He vowed efforts to "unceasingly continue striving for harmony and prosperity" following the "wishes of our forebears, who sought to use peace in Northeast Asia to achieve world peace."

In January, Lee visited China and Japan and met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss cooperation and pending issues as part of his shuttle diplomacy efforts.

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