South Korea's Lee Calls for Talks to Replace Korean War Armistice With Peace

SEOUL —

President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea called on Saturday for direct talks with North Korea aimed at formally ending the Korean War and finding ways to curb Pyongyang's nuclear weapons program, according to Yonhap and The Straits Times.

Lee made the proposal in a speech marking the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, an occasion South Korea marks each August 15. "Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties," Lee said, according to Yonhap. He added that talks could also address "effective ways to halt the advancement of the North's nuclear capabilities."

The two Koreas have technically remained at war since the 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty, Yonhap reported. Lee said he intends to work toward replacing what he called the "unstable armistice system" with a lasting peace arrangement. He also said Seoul would take "preemptive and consistent" steps to lower tensions and build what he described as a layered security system to prevent conflict from escalating, according to The Straits Times.

An Offer the North Has Rejected Before

Lee's proposal builds on a pledge he made a year ago to respect North Korea's political system and pursue peaceful coexistence rather than unification by absorption, both outlets reported. That earlier overture went nowhere. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has since abandoned Pyongyang's own reunification policy, branded South Korea its most hostile state, and ordered stronger defenses along the border, The Straits Times reported. North Korea has also criticized Seoul's plans for nuclear-powered submarines and condemned joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States as provocations.

Even as Lee spoke, ties between Pyongyang and Moscow appeared to be deepening. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Kim in a message that Russia and North Korea were coordinating on regional security and cooperating across all areas, according to North Korean state media cited by Channel NewsAsia. Kim visited a war memorial in Pyongyang on Friday honoring Soviet soldiers who fought Japan, and former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev also sent Kim greetings, the outlet reported. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly accused North Korea of supplying Russia with missiles, ammunition and troops for its war in Ukraine.

Also Looking Toward Japan

Lee used the same speech to address relations with Japan, saying South Korea should confront the painful history between the two countries while keeping the door open to the future, according to The Straits Times. He said he hoped to begin a new 60-year era of peace and prosperity with Japan as a close neighbor, pointing to what Yonhap described as expanded diplomatic contact between Seoul and Tokyo over the past year on supply chains, energy and technology cooperation.