South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to push for a peaceful resolution to North Korea's issues, expressing hope that the United States will use diplomacy to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea's presidential office revealed that this conversation occurred during a brief encounter between the two leaders at the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Tuesday, 16 June.
During the G7 leaders' group photo, Trump asked Lee Jae-myung about the current state of relations between South Korea and North Korea.
The South Korean leader requested that Trump lead diplomatic efforts to peacefully resolve North Korea's issues, similar to the role Trump has sought in ending conflicts in the Middle East.
South Korean presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung stated that Trump replied he would try to advance efforts to address the North Korean issue.
This stance comes amid heightened tensions between the two Koreas, as North Korea continues its weapons programs and faces security conflicts with the United States and regional allies.
Previously, Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un three times during his first U.S. presidential term, including the landmark 2018 summit in Singapore—the first official meeting between a U.S. president and a North Korean leader in history.
They also met again in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2019, and at the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea later that same year.
Although past negotiations failed to achieve agreements on ending North Korea's nuclear program or easing U.S. sanctions, Trump has repeatedly signaled a desire to reopen talks with Kim Jong Un.
Earlier, Trump expressed anticipation of meeting North Korea's leader at an appropriate time and recently posted a photo with Kim Jong Un on the Truth Social platform, seen as a signal regarding past diplomatic relations.
Source:channelnewsasia
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