President Lee Jae-myung says cutting off dialogue with N. Korea is 'truly foolish'

President Lee Jae-myung delivers his closing remarks during a press conference held at the Blue House on July 3 Presidential Offices Joint Press Corps — President Lee Jae Myung delivers his closing remarks during a press conference held at the Blue House on July 3. Presidential Office's Joint Press Corps.

SEOUL, July 03 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung emphasized the importance of diplomacy and communication with North Korea during a press conference held Thursday at the Blue House guesthouse, marking 30 days since his inauguration.

"Based on solid South Korea–United States cooperation and coordination, we must work to improve relations with North Korea," Lee said. "Completely cutting off dialogue is really a foolish thing to do." When asked to elaborate on his North Korea policy, Lee said, "Dialogue, communication, and cooperation are really important."

He referenced the late President Kim Dae-jung’s Sunshine Policy and added, "Even during war, diplomacy happens. You need to listen, even if you dislike what you hear."

"Politics and diplomacy must be handled without emotion and approached with reason and logic," he continued. "Whether in inter-Korean relations, ruling and opposition party relations, or ideological camps, if the goal is not mutual destruction, we need to pursue a path that benefits all. We must reduce tension step by step through dialogue and communication."

Lee acknowledged the current challenges in engaging the North, citing deep mistrust and hostility, but expressed cautious optimism following his administration's recent decision to suspend loudspeaker broadcasts across the border.

"I was honestly concerned about whether North Korea would respond at all, or how quickly. But they responded much faster than expected. It was beyond what I had anticipated," he said.

Addressing public discussions about potentially renaming the Ministry of Unification, Lee explained, "If we talk about unification now, it might be misunderstood as a call for absorption or surrender. That’s probably why there is talk of changing the ministry’s name."

He added, "As written in our Constitution, we pursue peaceful unification. This does not mean absorption. Who would want to be absorbed? That would involve immense sacrifice and conflict."

Lee concluded that long-term efforts grounded in mutual recognition and cooperation are essential, saying, "Despite the controversy, we need to continue dialogue and cooperation over the long haul. I've already discussed concrete measures with the National Security Office and the National Intelligence Service. I will speak about the outcomes later."

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com