South Korea calls for resuming dialogue with North

SEOUL – South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on March 1 for dialogue with North Korea to resume, after Pyongyang recently

shunned the prospect of diplomacy

with its neighbour.

Since

taking office in June

, a dovish Mr Lee has sought to mend ties with the nuclear-armed North, which reaffirmed its anti-Seoul approach during a recent party meeting.

“As my administration has repeatedly made clear, we respect the North’s system and will neither engage in any type of hostile acts, nor pursue any form of unification by absorption,” Mr Lee said in a speech marking the anniversary of a historical campaign against Japan’s colonial rule.

“We will also continue our efforts to resume dialogue with the North,” he said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un recently dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, describing its overtures as “clumsy, deceptive farce and poor work”.

Speaking at the party congress in Pyongyang, Mr Kim said North Korea has “absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity, and will permanently exclude South Korea from the category of compatriots”.

But he also said the North could “get along well” with the United States if Washington acknowledges its nuclear status.

Speculation has mounted over whether US President Donald Trump will seek a meeting with Mr Kim during

planned

visits

to China

.

In 2025, Mr Trump said he was “100 per cent” open to a meeting.

Previous Trump-Kim summits during the US President’s first term fell apart after the pair failed to agree over sanctions relief – and what nuclear concessions North Korea might make in return. AFP