South Korea President Calls for Talks With North Korea to Formally End Korean War

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for direct talks with North Korea aimed at formally ending the Korean War and reducing tensions between the two countries.

Speaking at a ceremony marking Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee urged both sides to abandon threats and begin discussions as the parties directly involved in the conflict.

He also suggested that dialogue could create an opportunity to discuss measures to prevent further expansion of North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme.

The Korean Peninsula technically remains at war because the 1950–1953 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a formal peace treaty.

Lee’s proposal comes amid heightened tensions over planned annual US-South Korean military exercises, which North Korea has strongly opposed. Pyongyang has also criticised Japan’s efforts to strengthen its military capabilities and has continued to develop closer military ties with Russia.

North Korea has repeatedly described itself as an “irreversible” nuclear state since the collapse of the 2019 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump in Hanoi.

Since taking office in June 2025, President Lee has adopted a more conciliatory approach toward Pyongyang, offering talks without preconditions.

South Korea’s unification minister said last month that Seoul was shifting its focus away from pressuring North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons and instead prioritising efforts to prevent further expansion of its nuclear capabilities.

North Korea has yet to respond positively to Lee’s repeated calls for dialogue and has instead strengthened its military cooperation with Russia.

The United States, South Korea’s key security ally, maintains about 28,500 troops in South Korea. US and South Korean forces are also preparing for an 11-day joint military exercise beginning Monday.

US and South Korean Combined Forces Command spokesman Colonel Ryan Donald said North Korea’s involvement in Russia’s war in Ukraine has changed the security threat facing the Korean Peninsula, as Pyongyang may bring military lessons learned from the conflict back to North Korea.

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