President Lee says coexistence with N. Korea is key to nat'l security

President Lee Jae Myung chaired his first National Security Council meeting on Thursday afternoon.

The meeting served as an opportunity to review security priorities for the second half of the year, with North Korea-related issues being one of the key items on the agenda.

Our Presidential Office correspondent Song Yoo-jin reports.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says peaceful coexistence with North Korea is "the most realistic and practical" path to safeguarding national security.

He made the remarks during his first National Security Council meeting on Thursday.

The President has already taken steps to de-escalate tensions, including suspending loudspeaker broadcasts along the inter-Korean border, a move that prompted the North to halt its propaganda campaign.

The administration says it aims to build on that momentum.

"The government will do everything it can to help people feel the Korean Peninsula is becoming more peaceful and secure. There were discussions on ways to restore severed communication channels and links between the two Koreas."

This is in line with how President Lee views the path to safety.

"The President noted that in matters of security, prevention is always more important than responding afterward."

When asked whether the meeting covered trade talks with the United States, Kang said the discussions explored a range of options, with national interests as the top priority.

South Korea is pursuing what it calls a "package deal," which was discussed earlier this week in Washington between National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac and his American counterpart, Marco Rubio.

"Talks include issues across the board, including trade, investment, purchasing goods, and security. We suggested taking all this into a "package" to make progress in negotiations."

Thursday's meeting, which lasted over two hours, was attended by the Prime Minister, senior officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, unification, defense, and interior, as well as the National Intelligence Service and the Office of National Security.

Song Yoo-jin, Arirang News.