South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has vowed full support for U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to revive dialogue with North Korea and act as a peacemaker on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee told Trump at the start of the two leaders' meeting ahead of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju on Wednesday that he is very happy that Trump is willing to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

Lee said that if Trump were to apply his peacemaking skills to the Korean Peninsula, as he has in other parts of the world, he would have the support of South Korea and its people.

Trump has repeatedly expressed his willingness to meet with Kim ahead of his visit to South Korea this week. North Korea has not yet responded to Trump’s proposals.

Lee stated that although Kim has not accepted Trump’s “good intentions,” he believes that South Korea and the U.S. have been “planting good seeds for a better future,” and that those will create opportunities for better relations.

Lee also asked Trump to allow South Korea to have fuel for its nuclear-powered submarines.

“We are not aiming for nuclear-armed submarines, but rather conventionally armed submarines powered by nuclear energy,” Lee said.

He explained to Trump that South Korea’s submarines have limited capabilities and cannot effectively monitor and counter undersea activities from other nations, which poses a hurdle because South Korea is still technically at war with the North.

Lee added that, in the future, he hopes South Korea-U.S. relations will focus on building a more comprehensive and strategic alliance, and that South Korea will increase its defense budget to reduce the U.S. burden.

The president also vowed to support the revival of American manufacturing through expanded investment, particularly in shipbuilding, to advance both nations' economies and deepen the South Korea-U.S. alliance.