Trump reaffirms commitment to dialogue with N. Korea during summit with Lee: Seoul

The Korea Times - Sep 23, 2026

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and U.S. President Donald Trump held summit talks Tuesday on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly and discussed a number of pending issues, a South Korean official said. The 30-minute summit included discussions on Seoul's pursuit of nuclear-powered submarines, rights to enrich uranium and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, and the transfer of wartime operational control (OPCON) of Korean troops from Washington, as well as cooperation in shipbuilding, National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac told reporters. This marks the third summit between Lee and Trump and reportedly the first time the envisioned wartime OPCON transfer has been discussed at the summit level. Tuesday's summit reportedly took place while Lee was attending a reception in New York hosted by Trump. During the summit, Trump reaffirmed his commitment to dialogue with North Korea, and the two leaders welcomed progress in bilateral strategic projects, Wi said. The leaders also resolved to communicate closely to help promote the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the Unit

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