South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has proposed to North Korea that the two sides begin negotiations to end the prolonged military conflict and discuss practical steps to dismantle Pyongyang's nuclear program, according to infohub.kz.
Speaking at a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945), the South Korean leader said: "Let us abandon our intentions to threaten each other and begin negotiations to end the protracted war as directly involved parties. In the process, we can also discuss effective ways to halt the development of North Korea's nuclear capabilities."
Lee Jae-myung stressed his intention to work towards establishing a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, replacing the "unstable armistice system" with a full peace treaty. He also promised to undertake a trip aimed at ending the war.
It is worth noting that South Korea and North Korea remain technically at war, as the 1950-1953 Korean War ended with an armistice, not a peace agreement. According to Yonhap news agency, North Korea has not responded to repeated conciliatory gestures from Seoul since Lee Jae-myung took office in June 2025.