President Lee: "Carrying Forward the Spirit of June 15 Through Action... Will Do Our Utmost for Inter-Korean Dialogue"

26th Anniversary Message for the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit

"Peaceful coexistence is the only path to mutual prosperity"

"Suspended loudspeaker broadcasts and leaflet campaigns toward North Korea... No pursuit of absorption-based unificatio

On June 15, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "The government, founded on the sovereignty of the people, is continuing the spirit of the June 15 South-North Joint Declaration not just in words, but in action." He added, "Just as the two Koreas did 26 years ago, we will do our utmost to sit down together and resume dialogue."

President Lee Jae-myung delivers a commemorative speech at the "Special Mass for Peace and Solidarity" held at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, Italy, on June 14, 2026 (local time). Photo by Yonhap News.

President Lee made these remarks in a written congratulatory message sent to the ceremony commemorating the 26th anniversary of the June 15 South-North Summit, held at the Kim Dae-jung Library at Yonsei University in Seoul. "The June 15 South-North Summit and the Joint Declaration were the starting point for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," he said. The message was read on his behalf by the policy chief.

President Lee emphasized, "The June 15 South-North Joint Declaration was a valuable promise to develop inter-Korean relations and achieve peaceful unification through exchanges and cooperation based on mutual understanding and respect." He added, "Although that promise has not been fully implemented, we cannot give up on that path." He further stated, "Peaceful coexistence is the only way for both Koreas to achieve mutual prosperity," and emphasized, "Peace on the Korean Peninsula is a common interest not only for the two Koreas but also for Northeast Asia and the world at large."

President Lee also mentioned the government's North Korea policies pursued since taking office. He stated, "Since the inauguration of the government, we have halted loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea and led private organizations to stop sending leaflets across the border." He went on to explain, "We announced the three principles of 'respecting North Korea's system, not pursuing unification by absorption, and refraining from any hostile acts,' in order to lay the foundation for easing tensions and peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, and to advance inter-Korean relations."

However, President Lee acknowledged that resuming inter-Korean dialogue is not easy, but promised to continue efforts for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula. He said, "Despite our government's efforts to restart dialogue and cooperation, we humbly acknowledge that the door to inter-Korean dialogue is not opening easily." Nevertheless, he added, "We cannot be discouraged by temporary difficulties or give up," and expressed his belief that "even if there are ups and downs, if we gather our wisdom together, we will be able to navigate these challenges wisely."

President Lee also stated, "We must turn the changes in the international situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula into new opportunities for the joint prosperity of the peninsula." He emphasized, "The government, based on the sovereignty of the people, will not cease its efforts for peace and coexistence on the Korean Peninsula," and added, "We will not stop working for communication, coexistence, and cooperation. I ask everyone here to be a strong partner in our steps toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula."

The June 15 South-North Joint Declaration is a statement of agreement announced by then-President Kim Dae-jung and North Korea’s National Defense Commission Chairman Kim Jong Il during the first-ever inter-Korean summit since the division, held in Pyongyang from June 13 to June 15, 2000. At that time, the two Koreas agreed on independently resolving the unification issue, recognizing commonalities between the South's confederation proposal and the North's low-level federation proposal, addressing the issue of separated families, and promoting economic cooperation as well as social and cultural exchanges.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.