South Korean President Lee Jae Myung expressed cautious optimism Tuesday that Donald Trump’s return to the White House could provide the diplomatic leverage needed to bring North Korean leader Kim Jong-un back to the negotiating table.
Speaking at a December 3rd press conference with international media—held to commemorate the anniversary of a recent martial law crisis—Lee acknowledged a stark reality that has long frustrated Seoul: North Korea appears to prioritize Washington’s voice over that of its closest neighbor.
The South Korean leader’s comments highlight the complex triangular relationship that has defined Northeast Asian geopolitics for decades. Despite sharing a border and centuries of intertwined history, Pyongyang has consistently shown more interest in direct engagement with the United States than with Seoul, viewing America as the primary power broker in any potential peace process.
Lee’s hopeful tone regarding Trump’s potential influence stems from the former president’s unprecedented diplomatic outreach during his previous term. Trump became the first sitting U.S. president to meet face-to-face with a North Korean leader, conducting three high-profile summits with Kim Jong-un between 2018 and 2019. While these meetings ultimately failed to produce lasting agreements on denuclearization, they demonstrated Kim’s willingness to engage directly with American leadership.
The timing of Lee’s remarks is particularly significant as tensions on the Korean Peninsula have escalated in recent years. North Korea has accelerated its weapons testing programs and strengthened ties with Russia, while diplomatic channels have remained largely frozen since the collapse of the Hanoi summit in 2019.
For South Korea, which has watched from the sidelines as Washington and Pyongyang conducted their diplomatic dance, Lee’s comments reflect both pragmatism and frustration. Seoul has long sought to play a more central role in resolving the Korean conflict, but has repeatedly found itself relegated to observer status when major diplomatic breakthroughs appear within reach.
The South Korean president’s assessment that North Korea places greater weight on American perspectives than South Korean ones underscores a fundamental challenge in Korean Peninsula diplomacy. This dynamic has persisted through multiple U.S. and South Korean administrations, suggesting that any sustainable peace process will require not just bilateral U.S.-North Korea engagement, but a more integrated approach that meaningfully includes Seoul.
As Trump prepares for his return to office, Lee’s public expression of hope signals South Korea’s readiness to support renewed diplomatic efforts, even if it means once again taking a secondary role in negotiations that will ultimately determine the future of the Korean Peninsula.
