Lee Jae Myung Urges Trump to Lead Peaceful Efforts on North Korea at G7 Summit

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung called on U.S. President Donald Trump to take a leading role in pursuing a peaceful resolution to tensions with North Korea during a brief conversation at the Group of Seven (G7) summit on Tuesday, according to South Korea’s presidential office.

The exchange took place during the official G7 leaders’ group photo session, where Trump reportedly asked Lee about the current state of inter-Korean relations. Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said Lee responded by encouraging Trump to continue diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the North Korea issue through peaceful means.

Lee specifically referenced Trump’s involvement in addressing conflicts in the Middle East and expressed hope that the U.S. president would apply similar leadership to the Korean Peninsula. Trump reportedly replied that he would work toward addressing North Korea-related concerns, signaling continued interest in diplomatic engagement.

The discussion highlights the ongoing importance of U.S.-South Korea cooperation on regional security and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. During his first presidential term, Trump engaged directly with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in an unprecedented series of meetings. These included the historic 2018 Singapore summit, the 2019 Hanoi summit, and a meeting later that year at the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), where Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korean territory.

Despite the diplomatic breakthroughs, negotiations ultimately stalled after the Hanoi summit failed to produce an agreement on North Korea’s denuclearization and the easing of U.S.-led sanctions.

Trump has continued to express interest in renewing dialogue with Kim Jong Un. In August 2025, he stated that he looked forward to meeting the North Korean leader again “in the appropriate future.” He reiterated that position in October, saying he would “love” to hold another summit.

Adding to speculation about renewed diplomacy, Trump recently shared a photo of himself and Kim Jong Un on Truth Social without a caption, drawing attention to their previous engagements and fueling discussions about a potential revival of U.S.-North Korea talks.