The proposal was made to Pyongyang to strengthen ties with Russia and to cement its status as an “irreversible” nuclear state.
Read more Lemon chicken: fresh and rich flavor from the grill
Both Koreas are technically still at war, as their 1950–1953 conflict, triggered by North Korea’s attack, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.
Lee Jae-myung made the proposal while giving a speech at a ceremony commemorating Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule from 1910 to 1945.
“Let us abandon our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to formally end the long-standing war as directly involved parties,” he said in his speech. “Through this, it may also be possible to discuss effective measures to halt the expansion of North Korea’s nuclear capabilities.”
Lee Jae-myung said this after North Korea condemned the upcoming annual US and South Korean military exercises this week, warning of stronger deterrence measures.
Pyongyang has recently also expressed anger over the gradual strengthening of Japan’s military forces in the Pacific region and launched two missiles within weeks, with Tokyo pledging to increase its defense capabilities with a “sense of urgency and crisis.”
North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an “irreversible” nuclear state since the 2019 collapse of the summit between Kim Jong Un and US leader Donald Trump in Hanoi—due to disagreements over denuclearization and the scope of sanctions relief.
The peace-seeking South Korean president, who took office in June 2025, changed his hawkish predecessor’s stance by offering negotiations to nuclear-armed Pyongyang without preconditions.
Read more After the canceled «Blues Nights» festival – complaints: no refunds for tickets
In July, South Korea’s unification minister even stated that Seoul had abandoned its campaign prioritizing pressure on North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons and instead focused on halting Pyongyang’s nuclear activities expansion.
The closed North Korean leadership has yet to respond to Lee Jae-myung’s repeated proposals and meanwhile has strengthened military ties with Russia.
Analysts say Pyongyang receives financial support, food, energy, and military technology from Moscow in exchange for supplying troops and ammunition for Russia’s war in Ukraine.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to visit Russia later this year, where he may discuss further arms supplies to Moscow.
Washington, Seoul’s main security ally, deploys about 28,500 of its troops in South Korea, helping to strengthen the country’s defense against military threats from Pyongyang.
Colonel Ryan Donald, spokesperson for the US and South Korea Combined Forces Command, said this week that North Korea’s deployment in the European war has changed the threat his troops may face on the Korean Peninsula.
“They learned the lessons they received there and brought this knowledge back to North Korea,” he told reporters, referring to the joint South Korean and US exercises starting Monday and lasting 11 days.
Read more Thai French family rescued after 16 hours floating at sea
“Our training takes that threat into account,” he added.
