Lee asks Xi to play mediator role for peace on Korean Peninsula

중국을 국빈 방문 중인 이재명 대통령이 7일 상하이의 한 호텔에서 열린 순방 기자단 오찬 간담회에서 발언하고 있다. [사진＝㈜연합뉴스]

SEOUL, January 7 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday said he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a mediator role in maintaining peace and security on the Korean Peninsula including North Korea's nuclear weapons program.

Lee made the remarks at a luncheon in Shanghai with South Korean reporters, after his talks with Xi in Beijing the previous day.

"We have to find a realistic path that helps everyone," Lee said, questioning whether North Korea could give up its nuclear weapons now, even as denuclearization remains a long-term goal.

He said he asked Xi to convey South Korea's sincerity regarding the proposed phased approach to North Korea.

Lee also urged caution in interpreting Xi's remarks at the summit, in which Xi said leaders should "stand firmly on the right side of history and make the correct strategic choice." When asked about the comment, Lee said he interpreted it as a Confucian saying, meaning that people should live kindly.

Lee returns home later in the day.
Jeong Hae-hun 기자 ewigjung@ajunews.com

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