South Korean President Proposes Talks with Pyongyang to Formally End Korean War

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the long-running Korean War, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia while asserting its status as an "irreversible" nuclear state.

Lee Jae Myung suggested a "multi-layered security system" to avoid flare-ups along the countries' de facto border, known as the demilitarised zone (DMZ), and offered to discuss practical ways of halting Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions.

North Korea has continually tested ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, which has been perceived in Seoul and nearby Japan as an attempt to intimidate and project power.

The two Koreas remain technically at war because their 1950-53 conflict, triggered by a North Korean attack, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

There have been clashes and tensions along the DMZ in the decades since, along with accusations from both sides of provocations, including dropping balloons carrying rubbish and propaganda.

Lee, who became South Korean president last year after his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached for attempting to declare martial law, has sought to thaw relations with North Korea and its ally China, which had soured under Yoon.

"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 told a ceremony marking Liberation Day, which commemorates the peninsula's liberation from Japanese rule.

"Through this, it may also be possible to discuss effective measures to halt the advancement of North Korea's nuclear capabilities," he added.

Lee's proposal came as North Korea this week denounced upcoming annual US-South Korean military drills, warning of stronger deterrence measures.

Lee expressed hope that the two nations "will sit face-to-face for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth", adding this could serve as a forum for discussing "effective ways to halt the advancement of the North's nuclear capabilities".

North Korea has yet to react to Lee's offer. The authoritarian regime's state news agency carried news of Kim marking the country's own Liberation Day commemorations with a wreath-laying and guard of honour.

Pyongyang has previously rebuffed Lee's offers of engagement, criticising a deal for the US to build South Korea a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines and denouncing joint drills between the two allies.

In January 2024, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that unification with the South was no longer possible.

Kim said that the constitution should be amended to educate North Koreans that South Korea was a "primary foe and invariable principal enemy".

North Korea declared itself a nuclear power in 2022 and vowed never to relinquish its weapons, of which it is estimated to possess dozens.

Analysts say Pyongyang is receiving financial support, food, energy and military technology from Moscow for supplying troops and munitions for Russia's war in Ukraine.

Kim is expected to visit Russia later this year, potentially to discuss further weapons supplies to Moscow.

Washington, Seoul's key security ally, stations about 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolster the country's defences against military threats from Pyongyang.

Source: BBC | France 24