Lee Urges Trump to Reopen North Korea Talks

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung urged US President Donald Trump to take a leading role in seeking a peaceful resolution to tensions on the Korean Peninsula during the G7 summit.

The two leaders briefly exchanged views during a group photo session with summit participants.

According to Lee’s office, Trump asked about the current state of relations with North Korea. The South Korean president then encouraged him to pursue a diplomatic solution, drawing a comparison with Trump's efforts to address tensions in the Middle East.

Seoul said Trump promised to pay attention to the North Korean issue.

In a joint statement, G7 leaders expressed serious concern over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programmes and reaffirmed their support for the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in line with UN Security Council resolutions.

The statement also called on Pyongyang to resolve the issue of Japanese citizens abducted by North Korea and highlighted concerns over cybercrime and cryptocurrency thefts linked to the regime.

Trump met North Korean leader Kim Jong-un three times during his first term in office. However, the diplomatic effort stalled after the failed Hanoi summit in 2019.

Despite that setback, Trump has repeatedly expressed interest in re-establishing direct contact with Kim.

(reuters, bak)