▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Feb. 26, 2026. (Yonhap)

Lee-N Korea

Lee reaffirms commitment to improve ties with N. Korea after Pyongyang snubs dialogue offer

By Kim Eun-jung

SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday vowed to continue efforts to normalize relations with North Korea despite Pyongyang's rejection of his dialogue overture, saying the two Koreas should move beyond past confrontation and pursue peace and stability.

Lee reaffirmed his commitment to improving ties after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un dismissed dialogue with Seoul, describing the South's overture as deceptive while appearing to leave the door open for talks with Washington as he wrapped up the North's key party congress the previous day.

"We should pursue such values as peace and stability," Lee said at a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae. "We should decisively put an end to the past that was racing toward confrontation and war."

He also called for sober reflection on past approaches that have stoked tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

"We need to seriously consider whether previous acts of humiliation or threats toward North Korea have truly contributed to peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula or served the Republic of Korea's interests and security," he said.

To normalize inter-Korean relations, Lee underscored the need for sustained efforts to ease long-running hostility and build trust with Pyongyang.

"I believe lasting peace and stability can ultimately take hold on the Korean Peninsula by consistently communicating, engaging in dialogue and making efforts to cooperate, and steadily building trust and mutual understanding," he said.

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