President Lee Jae-myung calls for the resumption of U.S.-North Korea dialogue and gradual denuclearization at the United Nations General Assembly, and advocates solidarity among constructive contributors to ensure the safety of the Strait of Hormuz.

[Seoul Jiji] South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated in his general debate speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on the 22nd, ``We will resume U.S.-North Korea dialogue as soon as possible and create a foothold for dialogue between the parties concerned towards ending the Korean War and transitioning to a peace regime,'' indicating his intention to aim for peace talks between the United States, China, and North and South Korea.

Mr. Lee welcomed U.S. President Trump's willingness to hold talks with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. While avoiding the use of the word "denuclearization," which North Korea has expressed its opposition to, he called for a phased approach, saying, "We will first suspend the advancement of our nuclear and missile capabilities, reduce them in the medium term, and then move toward a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula in the long term."

On the other hand, he advocated ``solidarity of constructive contributors'' in which ``countries with the capacity and will'' cooperate to ensure free and safe passage through areas such as the Strait of Hormuz. Mr. Lee prefaced this by saying, ``We will not be sending troops to get involved or intervene in a war,'' and hinted at the possibility of expanding the scope of operations of the South Korean military, which has been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia since 2009 for anti-piracy and other purposes.