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South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called for talks with North Korea to formally end the Korean War, as Seoul seeks a new approach to relations with Pyongyang despite growing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.
The two Koreas remain technically at war more than seven decades after the 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace agreement. The war began after North Korean forces crossed into the South in 1950, drawing in international forces and leaving the peninsula divided.
Lee made the proposal during a speech marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, calling on both sides to move away from hostility and begin discussions.
“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.
He added that dialogue could also open the possibility of discussing ways to slow North Korea’s nuclear expansion.
“Through this, it may also be possible to discuss effective measures to halt the advancement of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities,” the South Korean leader said.
The proposal comes as Pyongyang has criticised upcoming joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States, warning that it will strengthen its military deterrence measures.
North Korea has also continued to describe itself as an “irreversible” nuclear state following the collapse of nuclear negotiations between leader Kim Jong Un and former US President Donald Trump in 2019.
Since taking office in June 2025, Lee has shifted away from his predecessor’s tougher approach, offering talks with North Korea without preconditions. Seoul’s unification ministry said in July that the government was focusing less on demanding nuclear disarmament and more on preventing further expansion of Pyongyang’s nuclear capabilities.
However, North Korea has not responded to Lee’s offers and has instead expanded military cooperation with Russia. Analysts say Pyongyang has received support, including food, energy and military technology, in exchange for providing troops and weapons for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The United States, which maintains around 28,500 troops in South Korea, continues to support Seoul’s defence efforts. Colonel Ryan Donald of the US and South Korean Combined Forces Command said North Korea’s involvement in the Ukraine war has changed the security situation.
“They’ve taken those lessons they learned there and brought them back to North Korea,” Donald said, adding that joint military training accounts for the changing threat.
