An Kyubaek: "North Korea-U.S. Dialogue Must Succeed... Military to Support President Lee's 'Pacemaker' Role"

Ahn Gyu-baek, Minister of National Defense, stated that inter-Korean and U.S.-North Korea dialogue must be realized and that the military will strongly support President Lee Jae-myung's proposed "Pacemaker" role with robust military strength.

Ahn Gyu-baek, Minister of National Defense, is delivering the opening remarks at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Seoul Security Dialogue held at The Grand Lotte in Jung-gu, Seoul, on September 8, 2026. Photo by Kim Hyunmin

On September 8, during the 1st plenary session of the 15th Seoul Security Dialogue (SDD) held at The Grand Lotte in Jung-gu, Seoul, Minister Ahn made these remarks in response to a moderator’s question about the "U.S.-North Korea Summit and South Korea’s Role."

Minister Ahn said, "I strongly hope that the U.S.-North Korea dialogue between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will be realized, even under difficult conditions. This is not for the benefit of anyone in particular, but because of the significant impact it would have on peace on the Korean Peninsula and on the international community."

He continued, "As President Lee Jae-myung stated, we will support the 'Pacemaker' role toward becoming a 'Peacemaker' through military strength. No matter what situation arises, we will maintain our capabilities and military readiness."

Previously, last year at the South Korea-U.S. summit in Washington D.C., President Lee requested that President Trump help establish peace on the Korean Peninsula, saying, "If President Trump becomes a peacemaker establishing peace, I will become the pacemaker." Later, at the official dinner of the G7 Summit held in Evian, France in June, President Lee again urged President Trump to maintain his interest and involvement to ensure sustainable peace takes root on the peninsula.

Minister Ahn also presented the idea that U.S.-North Korea dialogue must be followed by inter-Korean dialogue. He explained that since 2024, North Korea has taken steps to sever inter-Korean ties by "fortifying its borders," and stated, "To resolve the hostility between the two nations, I believe U.S.-North Korea dialogue must lead to inter-Korean dialogue."

He added, "To improve inter-Korean relations, we have step-by-step prepared measures starting with the cessation and removal of loudspeakers toward North Korea and the excavation of remains at Baekma Heights. With these ongoing efforts, I again hope North Korea will come to the table for dialogue."

Meanwhile, President Lee, who is on a state visit to France, delivered a video message to the SDD the same day, stating, "We will continue our efforts for peaceful coexistence and common prosperity on the Korean Peninsula through trust and dialogue based on firm deterrence without wavering." He added, "South Korea is expanding the horizon for dialogue for peace and prosperity based on our independent defense capabilities as well as mutual respect and cooperation."

The Seoul Security Dialogue is a high-level multilateral security conference organized by the Ministry of National Defense since 2012, and this year marks its 15th event. Under the theme "In an Era of Chaos, Toward a New Coexistence," over 1,000 participants from 67 countries and international organizations attended this year’s conference.

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