South Korea urges dialogue with North to replace armistice with peace

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung renewed his call for dialogue with North Korea, seeking to replace the Korean War's armistice agreement with a formal peace treaty after more than seven decades of technical truce. Lee stressed the need to move beyond mutual threats and engage in discussions, even suggesting the possibility of addressing North Korea's nuclear capabilities within this framework.

"Let us put aside our intentions to threaten each other and start dialogue to end this prolonged war as directly involved parties," Lee stated, according to Yonhap. He expressed hope for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth between the two Koreas, emphasizing the establishment of a "multi-layered security system" to manage tensions and prevent crises. The president believes that a positive response from Pyongyang could lead to a stable Korean Peninsula, fostering regional stability and contributing to a nuclear-weapon-free world.

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Let us put aside our intentions to threaten each other and start dialogue to end this prolonged war as directly involved parties. In the process, we might also discuss effective ways to halt North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

Lee recalled his commitment from the previous year to respect North Korea's current system and refrain from hostile actions. He also highlighted the strengthened diplomatic ties and cooperation with Japan over the past year, particularly in supply chains, energy, and advanced technologies. Lee expressed his government's intent to expand this cooperation for mutual benefit and to address shared challenges, aiming to usher in a new era of prosperity with Japan.

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In the future, our government will expand the scope of cooperation (with Japan) for mutual interests and address shared challenges.