Lee Nak-yon, the Republic of Korea's former prime minister and candidate of the ruling Democratic Party, speaks during a campaign for parliamentary elections in Seoul on April 14, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

SEOUL - The Republic of Korea's (ROK) ruling party chief on Wednesday said he hoped for a new opportunity for better relations next year with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

Lee Nak-yon, who served as the prime minister under the Moon Jae-in government, called for support from China, the United States, Japan, Russia and other members of the international community to build peace on the Korean Peninsula

"I cannot expect an exact date, but another opportunity can be opened by early next year (for inter-Korean relations)," Lee Nak-yon, chair of the governing Democratic Party, told a press conference with foreign correspondents in Seoul.

Lee noted the need to find a breakthrough, giving the example of a small deal between the two Koreas or relatively small-sized cooperation projects that can build trust while adhering to past agreements between the ROK and the DPRK.

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Lee Nak-yon, who served as the prime minister under the Moon Jae-in government, called for support from China, the United States, Japan, Russia and other members of the international community to build peace on the Korean Peninsula.

He noted that China has played a constructive role in the Korean Peninsula peace process, including the peninsula's denuclearization process.

Denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the United States have been stalled since the second summit between the DPRK leader and US President Donald Trump ended without agreement at the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi in February 2019. 

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