South Korea Proposes Talks With North to Formally End Korean War

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has proposed renewed talks with North Korea aimed at formally ending the Korean War and replacing the decades-old armistice with a permanent peace regime.

Lee made the proposal on Saturday during a speech marking South Korea’s 81st Liberation Day, calling on the two Koreas to put aside their hostility and begin discussions on ending the conflict that has technically remained unresolved since 1953.

“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.

The Korean War, fought from 1950 to 1953, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. As a result, North and South Korea remain technically at war.

Lee said Seoul wanted to establish a peace regime that would provide greater stability on the Korean Peninsula and prevent tensions from escalating into armed conflict. He also proposed discussions on practical measures to halt the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.

The South Korean president also suggested a “multi-layered security system” around the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), the heavily fortified border separating the two countries, as part of efforts to prevent accidental or deliberate military clashes.

However, the proposal comes at a difficult time for inter-Korean relations.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has abandoned Pyongyang’s previous reunification policy and described South Korea as a hostile state. North Korea has also rejected previous engagement overtures from Seoul while strengthening its military cooperation with Russia.

Tensions have also risen ahead of planned joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States. North Korea has condemned the upcoming Ulchi Freedom Shield drills as a rehearsal for invasion and threatened unspecified countermeasures.

North Korea has also carried out recent ballistic missile tests, adding to concerns over the security situation on the peninsula.

Despite the challenges, Lee has continued to advocate dialogue and peaceful coexistence with Pyongyang. His latest proposal seeks to move relations beyond the armistice framework and establish a more durable system for managing military and political tensions.

Whether North Korea will respond positively remains uncertain, but the proposal represents one of Seoul’s most significant recent efforts to reopen discussions on formally ending the Korean War.