▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a press conference at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Sept. 18, 2026. (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 18 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Friday reiterated his commitment to replacing the armistice that suspended the 1950-53 Korean War with a permanent peace regime.

The president made the remarks in a speech at a ceremony at the National Assembly commemorating the Pyongyang Joint Declaration, signed on Sept 19, 2018 by then President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un following their summit in Pyongyang. The speech was read on his behalf by Kim Kyoung-soo, Lee's special aide for political affairs.

The 2018 declaration affirmed the two Koreas' determination to end military hostility across their border and to boost cooperation.

Lee said that despite the declaration, inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation have ceased while tensions have risen, highlighting North Korea's rapid advancement of its nuclear weapons capabilities in the meantime.

Now, South Korea is witnessing signs of hope for the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, the president noted, pledging to help expedite its resumption and efforts to have it develop into dialogue for a peace regime on the peninsula.

"There is a hand tapping the door for North Korea-U.S, talks again," Lee said, apparently referring to U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated bid to resume diplomacy with North Korea's Kim.

"Our government will do its utmost to have the gesture lead to the resumption of North Korea-U.S. dialogue and develop into discussions to end war on the Korean Peninsula and establish a peace regime," the president said.

He also voiced his commitment to upholding the 2018 agreement as a milestone guiding relevant government efforts.

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