President Lee Jae-myung on the 7th said of South Korea–China relations, "I hope China will play a mediating role on issues on the Korean Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue. The nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula is serious."
At 1 p.m. (Korea time) that day, the president held a press conference with the traveling press corps at the Shanghai Press Center in China and made the remarks.
The president said, "We agreed that peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula are very important concerns for China as well. From the Republic of Korea's standpoint, it is clearly a matter of national survival," adding, "All channels with the North are blocked for us. Not only is trust at zero, there is only hostility."
He went on, "For quite a long time, we carried out military attack actions against North Korea. They must have been extremely anxious in the North," adding, "If we want to talk with the other side, we must understand its position. If we do that, will we be called 'pro-North' for taking North Korea's side?"
The president also said, "Efforts from those around us are needed, so we asked China, and China said it would work on that role," adding, "The North needs regime stability, and here the U.S. role is important. Every top Chinese leader said the same thing."
He continued, "The Korean Peninsula must be denuclearized in the long run, but from the North Korean regime's standpoint, can it agree to eliminate nuclear weapons? It would be good if that happened, but I think it is impossible," adding, "In the end, we must find a path here that is feasible and helps everyone. If we attach partisan reasons to this, shake it, and hold it back, nothing will be done."