South Korea calls for dialogue with North Korea to formally end Korean War

Abi Sarabia M., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 17, 2026

Photo courtesy: Reuters

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has expressed his wish to speak with North Korea’s leadership, aiming to formally end the Korean War and replace the more than seven-decade-old armistice on the Korean Peninsula with a peace regime.

Alongside South Korea’s observance of Liberation Day,  the day the country was freed from Japan’s colonial rule in 1945 — President Lee laid out his plan for more peaceful relations with North Korea.

According to Lee, it is time to turn his earlier pledge to respect North Korea’s system and refrain from any hostile acts into concrete steps.

Lee Jae Myung, President of South Korea, said: 

“Today, one year later, I would like to present a blueprint to move beyond principles and into action. First, inclusive peaceful coexistence through mutual respect. North and South Korea must respect each other and halt unnecessary confrontation.”

Lee said that talking with North Korea should not be seen as surrender, but as the start of peaceful coexistence between the two countries.

The South Korean president also wants to put mechanisms in place to prevent crises and rising tension, particularly along the border of the two Koreas.

Tension between North and South Korea remains, with the two countries still considered technically at war since only an armistice, not a peace treaty, was agreed upon to end the Korean War in 1953.

Because of this, Lee called on both sides to begin talks to formally end the war that has lasted more than seven decades.

Lee has offered talks with Pyongyang several times since taking office as president in 2025. However, North Korea has not responded to these offers and has instead continued to strengthen its military ties with Russia.

Pyongyang has also maintained that its nuclear program cannot be taken away and that it will remain a nuclear state.

Alongside this, North Korea has strongly opposed the upcoming annual joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States.