South Korea: President Lee Jae Myung Proposes Talks With North Korea To Formally End Korean War | VIDEO

Seoul, August 15, 2026: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Saturday proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the Korean War and discuss practical ways to halt the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear programme, as he called for a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

Lee made the proposal during a ceremony in Seoul marking the 81st Liberation Day, which commemorates Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. His remarks signal a continued push for engagement with Pyongyang despite North Korea showing little interest so far in Seoul's reconciliatory efforts.

Lee Calls For Talks To End War

"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. "In the process, (we) may also discuss effective ways to halt the advancement of the North's nuclear capabilities."

The two Koreas technically remain at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Lee said he would embark on a journey to end the war and replace what he called the "unstable armistice system" with a peace regime.

His proposal comes despite North Korea remaining unresponsive to Seoul's repeated reconciliatory gestures since Lee took office in June last year. The lack of a response from Pyongyang presents an obvious challenge to Seoul's peace push, but Lee made clear that his government intends to keep the door to dialogue open.

In his Liberation Day speech last year, Lee pledged to respect North Korea's current system and said South Korea would neither pursue unification by absorption nor engage in hostile acts towards the North.

Seoul Keeps Door Open

Despite Pyongyang's lack of response, the Lee administration has pledged to consistently pursue dialogue with North Korea with the aim of peaceful coexistence.

Reiterating that approach on Saturday, Lee said the two Koreas should respect each other and halt unnecessary confrontations, beginning by "reducing hostility in the perceptions, norms and systems".

"I hope South and North Korea will sit face-to-face for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth," the President said.

Lee also stressed the need for what he described as a "multilayered security system" to control tensions and confrontations and prevent a crisis. He pledged to take "pre-emptive and consistent measures for peace" in line with the security situation around the Korean Peninsula.

"By inducing a positive response from the North, I will create a stable Korean Peninsula," Lee said, PTI reports.

He argued that peace on the peninsula could promote stability and cooperation across Northeast Asia and contribute to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons.

"I will turn the energy of hostility and confrontation into momentum for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth," he added.

Japan Ties And Regional Vision

Turning to relations with Japan, Lee highlighted the active "shuttle diplomacy" between the two countries over the past year. He said the exchanges had strengthened trust and expanded cooperation in areas including 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 by mustering wisdom," Lee said, expressing hope that the two countries could open a new era of peace and prosperity.

His comments underline a broader diplomatic approach in which Seoul seeks dialogue with North Korea while strengthening cooperation with Japan, placing regional stability at the centre of South Korea's foreign policy ambitions.

Lee also reiterated his vision of creating "an irreplaceable South Korea" that would lead the world in advanced technologies.

"In the face of the (industrial) upheaval and a transformation of the international order, we should create possibilities instead of counting impossibilities," he said.

"We should become a country that the world absolutely needs, and all countries want to cooperate with," Lee added.

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Support For Youth And Accountability

On domestic issues, Lee pledged government support for young people and promised to build a "sturdy ladder of opportunities".

He also pledged to investigate and confiscate unjustly accumulated assets held by collaborators of Japan's colonial rule of Korea and hold them accountable.

Around 3,000 people attended Saturday's Liberation Day event in Seoul, including patriots, families of independence fighters, government and party officials, foreign ambassadors and citizens.

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