South Korea proposes talks to officially end war with North
Lee Jae Myung offers chance to end the conflict, which has been frozen since an armistice in 1953.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has put forward a proposal for discussions with North Korea aimed at formally concluding the war that technically remains ongoing between the two nations.
President Lee suggested that such talks could lead to "peaceful coexistence." He also recommended establishing a "multi-layered security system" to prevent conflicts along the de-facto border, known as the demilitarised zone (DMZ), and offered to explore practical methods for curbing Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.
North Korea has consistently conducted tests of ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. This activity has been interpreted by Seoul and neighboring Japan as an attempt to project power and intimidate.
The conflict between the two Korean peninsula occupants has been largely dormant since an armistice was signed in 1953. However, the decades since have seen intermittent clashes and heightened tensions along the DMZ, alongside mutual accusations of provocations, including the release of balloons carrying refuse and propaganda.
Lee, who assumed the South Korean presidency last year after his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached for attempting to declare martial law, has been working to improve relations with North Korea and its ally China, which had deteriorated under Yoon.
During a ceremony commemorating Liberation Day, marking the peninsula's freedom from Japanese rule, Lee stated, "Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties."
He expressed optimism that the two nations "will sit face-to-face for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth," adding that this could serve as a platform for discussing "effective ways to halt the advancement of the North's nuclear capabilities."
North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2022 and has vowed never to surrender its weapons. It is estimated to possess dozens of these.
Lee previously stated that Pyongyang was producing 15 to 20 additional warheads annually. Last year, he informed the BBC that he would support an agreement between US President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to freeze production, calling it a "realistic" objective while Seoul continued to advocate for complete denuclearisation.
Trump is the only Western leader to have met Kim, which occurred during the US president's first term. Although Trump has since focused on other regions after returning to the White House, he expressed a desire last August to meet Kim again when "appropriate."
North Korea has not yet responded to Lee's offer. The authoritarian regime's state news agency reported on Kim's participation in the country's own Liberation Day commemorations, which included a wreath-laying and a guard of honor.
Pyongyang has previously rejected Lee's overtures for engagement, criticizing a deal for the US to construct a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for South Korea and condemning joint drills between the two allies.
In a continued display of sabre-rattling, North Korea launched a ballistic missile into the sea on Tuesday—the 11th suspected test this year—just days before a scheduled joint military exercise between the US and South Korea.