hankyoreh

President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea meets with Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome on June 14, 2026. (Park Jong-shik/Hankyoreh)

On an official visit to the Vatican on Sunday, Korean President Lee Jae Myung stressed peace on the Korean Peninsula, while declaring he “plans to do everything possible so that [South and North Korea] can move beyond the armistice system and establish a sustainable peace regime.”

Lee made the comments as part of a commemorative address he delivered during a special mass for peace and reconciliation officiated by Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome on Sunday.

You, who serves as prefect for the Dicastery for the Clergy, is the first Korean to lead a department at the Roman Curia under the Catholic Church.

“The world today faces greater conflict and uncertainty than ever before. The roar of artillery is still heard in Ukraine, and a new conflict has opened up in the Middle East. The Korean Peninsula is not free from such concerns,” Lee said in his address.

Lee’s address was the second delivered by a Korean president at a special mass in Rome, following a speech by Moon Jae-in in October 2018.

Lee also mentioned the downturn in inter-Korean relations.

“South and North Korea once spoke about peace and joint prosperity, but we’ve returned to an era of division. The lines of communication that once connected us have been severed, and we continue to face distrust and tension,” he said.

But Lee emphasized that he won’t stop working for peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“On June 15, 26 years ago, South and North Korea sat down together for the first time since their division to release the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration. That was a pivotal moment in history when we showed the whole world the possibility of dialogue and cooperation after decades of hostility and tension. I firmly believe that those sparks of hope are still alive even now,” the Korean president said.

“Since my administration was launched last year, the Republic of Korea has taken preemptive measures to ease tensions, such as stopping the launch of leaflet-filled balloons and turning off loudspeakers that were sending broadcasts into North Korea. We have clearly stated that we do not seek ‘unification by absorption’ or unilateral regime change.”

Lee went on: “We will continue working to restore military trust and prevent unintended clashes between the two sides. I ask for your prayers so that the cherished message of Isaiah 2:4 about ‘beating swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks’ will be realized across the entire country. I hope to build a virtuous cycle in which peace on the Korean Peninsula leads to world peace, and global solidarity reinforces peace on the Korean Peninsula.”

President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea (center) attends a special mass to pray for inter-Korean peace and reconciliation at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome on June 14, 2026. (Park Jong-shik/Hankyoreh)

Lee also expressed his gratitude to the Holy See. 

“For many years, the international community has longed for peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, and the Republic of Korea has striven diligently to meet those expectations. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the Vatican for its unflagging interest and support in that process,” Lee said.

“At this moment, as the world is weighed down by conflict and uncertainty, the Republic of Korea seeks to send a message of hope. Through the shining light of our democracy, the proud fruits of our culture and the future potential of our technology and innovation, we will join the efforts to build a freer and more peaceful world in which all people can enjoy lives of dignity.”

By Seo Young-ji, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]