Lee Proposes Talks With Pyongyang to Formally End the War: It Is Time to Abandon Hostilities

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has called for talks with North Korea aimed at formally ending the war between the two countries. The conflict was halted by an armistice in 1953, but the parties never signed a peace treaty.

During a Liberation Day ceremony commemorating the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese rule, Lee urged both sides to abandon mutual threats and begin dialogue as countries directly involved in the long-running conflict.

“Let us abandon our intentions to threaten each other and begin talks to end the long war as parties directly involved,” he said.

Lee also proposed the idea of a “multi-layered security system” aimed at preventing tensions along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the de facto border between the two countries. He expressed his willingness to also discuss practical steps that could curb Pyongyang’s nuclear ambitions.

According to the South Korean president, the two countries should “sit down face to face for peaceful coexistence and mutual development.” Such dialogue, he added, could also provide a forum for examining “effective ways to halt the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.”

Pyongyang has repeatedly conducted tests of nuclear-capable ballistic missiles. According to the BBC, these tests are viewed in Seoul and neighboring Japan as attempts at intimidation and displays of force.

Although the military confrontation between the two powers on the Korean Peninsula has remained largely frozen since the 1953 armistice, the ensuing decades have been marked by incidents and tensions along the Demilitarized Zone. Both sides continue to accuse each other of provocations, including launching balloons carrying waste or propaganda materials, as well as using loudspeakers to broadcast propaganda.

Lee took office as South Korea’s president last year after his predecessor, Yun Suk-yeol, was put on trial for attempting to impose martial law. Since coming to power, he has sought to improve relations with North Korea and its ally China, ties that had deteriorated under Yun’s leadership.

In 2022, North Korea declared itself a nuclear power and vowed never to surrender its nuclear weapons. The country is estimated to possess dozens of such weapons.

Lee has previously said that Pyongyang was producing between 15 and 20 nuclear warheads each year. In an interview with the BBC last year, he said he would support an agreement between Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un to freeze production. He described this as a “realistic” objective while Seoul continued its efforts to achieve complete denuclearization.

So far, North Korea has not responded to Lee’s initiative. Pyongyang has also previously rejected his proposals for dialogue.