The Presidential Office announced on December 7 plans to intensify the peace and coexistence process on the Korean Peninsula starting next year. Given North Korea’s lack of response to dialogue efforts, the strategy aims to find a breakthrough for peace and denuclearization by focusing on supporting U.S.-North Korea talks.
However, officials clarified they are not directly considering reducing U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises to facilitate the peace process.
National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac revealed this strategy during a performance report meeting titled, Reporting the Achievements of the First Six Months of the Lee Jae Myung Administration, at the Yongsan Presidential Office.
Wi emphasized that 2026 must become a year of recovery and progress. It will push for resuming dialogue with North Korea and formally advance the peace and coexistence process on the Korean Peninsula. He added that it will communicate closely with the U.S. as a facilitator and actively promote inter-Korean dialogue.
Wi acknowledged the lack of progress in the peace and coexistence process over the past six months. He explained that the lack of progress is due to North Korea’s complete unwillingness to engage. While it has made various moves, it faces challenges in this context.
Nevertheless, Wi noted that it has achieved results in creating favorable conditions for advancing the peace process. It has significantly stabilized U.S.-South Korea relations, improved South Korea-Japan relations more positively than expected, and set the stage for restoring the severely strained South Korea-China relationship. He emphasized the intention to leverage these achievements on the Korean Peninsula starting next year.
He continued that North Korea’s response is crucial, but they are developing international connections with neighboring countries, so it will attempt to use that. While they’re not seeing significant progress with Russia, they are maintaining communication. It will continue strengthening our alliances with surrounding countries, keeping the Korean Peninsula issue in mind, and attempt to engage in inter-Korean dialogue.
Since President Lee took office, he has rapidly advanced and normalized relations with major countries like the U.S., China, and Japan. He intends to leverage this momentum to focus on exchanges, normalization of relations, and denuclearization with North Korea under the END Initiative.
The Presidential Office plans to concentrate on the potential for U.S.-North Korea dialogue to find a breakthrough in the peace process on the Korean Peninsula.
When asked about the timing for resuming inter-Korean dialogue, Wi stated that it’s difficult to predict when dialogue will resume, but speculated that he suspects that the timing for dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. may precede that of inter-Korean talks. If either side initiates dialogue, it will create a positive feedback loop.
He added that the inter-Korean relationship exists within an international context, not just a bilateral one. It’s challenging to move forward solely on inter-Korean terms without considering the international context.
Wi mentioned that while he will explore various directions to implement the peace process, he is not directly considering reducing joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises as an option.
This suggests a focus on supporting U.S.-North Korea dialogue rather than preemptively proposing a reduction in military exercises.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Office is also preparing for practical discussions to follow up on U.S.-South Korea security negotiations.
Under the National Security Office, they are executing follow-up measures related to the U.S.-South Korea security negotiations through task forces (TFs) focused on uranium enrichment and spent nuclear fuel reprocessing rights, the introduction of nuclear-powered submarines, and defense budgets.
Kim Hyun-jong, the first deputy director of the National Security Office, stated that they are coordinating from the National Security Office while relevant departments lead the follow-up measures and support through task forces. They are drafting a roadmap for discussions with the U.S. Practical negotiations are ongoing, and we expect visible results by the first half of next year.
He added that visible results will involve expanding the issues that need to be discussed between the U.S. and South Korea.