The President of South Korea, Lee Jae Myung, called on North Korea to start talks to formally end the Korean War, a conflict that has technically remained open for more than seven decades because it ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.
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The proposal was made during a ceremony for the 81st anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, an occasion in which Lee suggested replacing the current “unstable armistice system” with a peace regime between the two countries.
“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 could also discuss effective ways to halt North Korea’s nuclear capabilities,” the president said.
Lee also expressed his intention for both governments to move towards a “peaceful coexistence and mutual growth”, along with establishing a security system that would reduce tensions and prevent new crises on the peninsula.
The call comes amid Lee’s administration’s attempts to resume dialogue with Pyongyang since taking office in June 2025.
The president has changed the strategy followed by his predecessor and offered talks without preconditions. In July, South Korea’s Ministry of Unification also indicated that Seoul had moved away from a policy primarily focused on pressuring for the dismantling of North Korea’s nuclear arsenal, to initially focus on stopping the expansion of its nuclear capabilities.
So far, however, the government of Kim Jong-un has not responded to the dialogue proposals.
North Korea has repeatedly defined itself as an “irreversible” nuclear state and in recent years has strengthened its military ties with Russia, including sending troops to support Moscow in the war in Ukraine.
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Seoul’s new offer also comes after Pyongyang questioned the upcoming joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, warning that it would adopt stronger deterrence measures in response.
The Korean War began in 1950 and pitted both sides of the peninsula against each other until 1953. Hostilities ended with an armistice, but a definitive peace treaty was never signed, so the two countries remain technically at war.
Lee suggested that a positive response from Pyongyang could help build a “stable Korean peninsula” and promote greater regional cooperation.
“I will transform hostility and confrontation into momentum for peaceful coexistence,” he stated.
During his speech, the president also addressed relations with Japan and highlighted progress made over the past year in areas such as supply chains, energy, and advanced technologies.
“Going forward, our government will expand the scope of cooperation (with Japan) for mutual interests and address shared challenges,” he said.
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