Former President Moon Jae-in has said U.S. President Donald Trump's planned visit to China could provide fresh momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula. In a keynote speech at a U.S. think tank in Los Angeles, he called on Washington and Pyongyang to resume stalled talks.
Former President Moon Jae-in delivered a keynote speech at the U.S. think tank RAND in Los Angeles on March 6, 2026 (local time). He stated that U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to China from March 31 to April 2 could provide valuable momentum to restart peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula.
"I think Trump's upcoming visit to China could provide valuable momentum to restart the clock for peace on the Korean Peninsula," Moon said.
He urged Trump to commit to resuming stalled negotiations with North Korea to promote regional peace. "If (Trump) opens a new path toward peace on the Korean Peninsula, it would remain a lasting achievement in world history as that of a 'peacemaker,'" he added.
Moon also called on North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to accept dialogue offers from Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. "Isolation and confrontation cannot secure the future of North Korea," he said. "I hope (Kim) will have the courage to return to talks and move forward on the path of peace and prosperity."
Trump and Kim held three in-person meetings during Trump's first term: the first in Singapore in June 2018, the second in Hanoi in February 2019, and the third at the inter-Korean border village of Panmunjom in June 2019.
At a key ruling party congress last month, Kim left the door open to possible dialogue with the U.S. if Washington abandons what Pyongyang calls its "hostile policy." In response, the White House has said Trump remains open to talks with Kim "without any preconditions."
Moon helped mediate the Trump-Kim summits in 2018 and 2019.
