Lee says dialogue, encounter essential paths toward peace: report

President Lee Jae Myung poses with his wife Kim Hea Kyung during the G7 summit in Evian-les-Bains, France, Tuesday. AP-Yonhap

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday described dialogue and encounter as essential paths toward peace, highlighting South Koreans' longing for lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The president made the remarks in an exclusive statement released to Fides News Agency, the Vatican's news agency, on the theme of World Youth Day 2027, which is set to be hosted by Korea next year.

Lee "presented dialogue and encounter as essential paths toward peace," the news agency reported. "Our peninsula remains divided, and we understand deeply the longing for reconciliation and lasting peace," he was quoted as saying.

He noted that World Youth Day's focus on encounter and dialogue speaks to a universal truth, saying, "Peace begins when people meet, listen to one another and recognize their shared humanity."

Noting the ongoing division of the Korean Peninsula, the president added, "Peace on the Korean Peninsula and peace in the wider world are deeply connected."

The president highlighted that Korea looks forward "with great anticipation" to welcoming Pope Leo XIV, noting his presence in Seoul would remind people that moral leadership, compassion and dialogue remain indispensable in a fractured world.

"Our aspiration is that Seoul will become a place where young people deepen their faith, build lasting friendships and rediscover the value of solidarity across borders and cultures," the president said.

On Monday, Lee held a meeting with Pope Leo XIV and invited him to visit Korea on the occasion of World Youth Day in August next year, while requesting Vatican's continued support for Seoul's efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula.