South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the Korean War, calling for a new security framework to prevent military tensions along the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

Speaking at a ceremony marking Liberation Day, Lee urged the two Koreas to abandon threats and discuss peaceful coexistence while also offering talks on ways to curb the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.

According to the BBC, the Korean Peninsula has remained technically at war since the 1953 armistice, as no formal peace treaty was ever signed. Lee’s proposal comes amid continued tensions, with North Korea conducting ballistic missile tests and opposing joint US-South Korean military exercises.

Pyongyang has previously rejected Seoul’s engagement efforts and has declared South Korea a “primary foe”, while leader Kim Jong Un has ruled out reunification.

North Korea has not yet responded to Lee’s latest proposal. The move also comes days before a scheduled US-South Korean military exercise, following another suspected North Korean ballistic missile launch earlier this week.

BOB Post