President Lee Jae-myung on the 1st said, "I do not think we should say it is 'over' or 'unacceptable' just because the North uses hostile expressions; I think it is a type of expression that inevitably appears in the process of change."
At a news conference for the APEC summit held on this day at the International Media Center (IMC) near the HICO, he stated accordingly, "It seems the intensity of the North's expressions has eased compared with the past."
He said, "The Korean Peninsula issue is complex and difficult. What is clear is that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are very important not only to Northeast Asia but also to world peace," adding, "Peace and stability presuppose deterrence, but in the final stage, the will for dialogue and compromise, and for coexistence and shared prosperity, is necessary."
He went on, "The North is suspicious of the government of the Republic of Korea, is angry, and acts with hostility, but to change this suspicion, confrontational thinking, and confrontational situational assessment requires considerable effort," adding, "How could it change all at once? We are taking preemptive steps to enable the North to feel secure and to trust the South."
He said, "The Korean Peninsula is still under an armistice," adding, "The war is still halted. The party to the armistice agreement is not the Republic of Korea but the United States."
He continued, "North Korea believes it must receive guarantees of regime stability from the United States, and it acts accordingly," adding, "Inter-Korean dialogue has limits. The U.S. role is important."
He added, "If the United States and North Korea talk and their relations improve, inter-Korean relations can also improve," adding, "President Trump playing the role of a peace maker who makes peace on the Korean Peninsula is the way to secure the Republic of Korea's security and peace. I will work hard as a pace maker so that President Trump can play the role of peace maker."