South Korean President Lee Jae Myung Calls for Direct Talks to End Korean War

No response from Pyongyang has been reported.

South Korean President Proposes Talks with North Korea to End Korean War

The Korean Peninsula has been in a technical state of war since the armistice on July 27 1953. Periodic clashes along the DMZ and North Korean missile tests have kept tensions high. Lee, who assumed the presidency in 2025 after Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment, has pursued a “peacemaker” stance, seeking to thaw relations with North Korea, China, and Japan.

South Korean president proposes talks to officially end war with North Korea

• North Korea has conducted 11 suspected ballistic-missile tests in 2026, according to South Korean assessments.

South Korean President Proposes Talks with North Korea to End Korean War

• The regime announced its nuclear-power status in 2022 and is estimated to possess “dozens” of nuclear warheads; Lee has claimed Pyongyang produces 15–20 new warheads each year.

South Korean President Proposes Talks with North Korea to End Korean War

Lee pledged a “multi-layered security system” along the DMZ and safeguards to prevent escalation. The South Korean government reiterated its role as a “peacemaker” in regional stability.

Bloomberg

North Korean state media reported a wreath-laying ceremony by Kim Jong Un on the same day. The regime has not issued an official reply to Lee’s invitation but reiterated opposition to joint U.S.–South Korean drills and to South Korea’s plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines.

South Korea urges North Korea talks to replace war armistice Seoul called for dialogue with North Korea on formally ending Korean War South Korea’s Lee urges talks with North Korea to replace armistice with peace South Korean President Proposes Talks with North Korea to End Korean War RT Russia TodayBBC NewsSouth Korean president proposes talks to officially end war with North Korea Lee Jae Myung offers dialogue to North Korea

• Kim Jong Un described South Korea as the “most hostile state” and warned Seoul would “pay the price” for its provocations.

South Korea’s Lee urges talks with North Korea to replace armistice with peace

• The DPRK’s foreign ministry labeled expanding security cooperation among Seoul, Washington and Tokyo a “nuclear alliance” and condemned planned joint exercises as “preparations for an attack.”

South Korea urges North Korea talks to replace war armistice

• Pyongyang also rebuffed previous South Korean overtures, criticizing the submarine programme and joint drills as grave provocations.

BBC News

Sources agree the latest missile launch was the 11th test of the year, but no independent verification of the exact number of warheads produced annually has been provided. North Korea’s official stance on the proposed talks remains unrecorded.

South Korea urges North Korea talks to replace war armistice

• “We’ll embark on a journey to end war and transform the Korean Peninsula’s unstable armistice into a peace regime. Let’s drop all intentions of threatening one another and initiate dialogue among directly concerned parties in order to conclude this long war,” — Lee, President of South Korea

The Independent

• “Through this, effective measures to halt the advancement of North Korea's nuclear capabilities can also be discussed.” — Lee

President Lee Proposes Dialogue Between Parties to End War and Halt North Korea's Nuclear Program

South Korea will continue to seek “preemptive and sustained steps” to ease tensions while awaiting a North Korean response. The government also plans to monitor the upcoming joint U.S.–South Korean military exercises scheduled for August, which Pyongyang has publicly condemned.

South Korea urges North Korea talks to replace war armistice