'Begin discussions': South Korea's Lee Jae Myung calls for talks with North Korea

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung urged North Korea on Saturday to initiate talks aimed at formally ending the Korean War and addressing North Korea's nuclear program. Speaking at a ceremony marking Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee called for the two Koreas to set aside their hostile intentions and engage in discussions to resolve the decades-old conflict, which currently exists only in a technical state of war due to the lack of a peace treaty.

The President emphasized that dialogue could also involve measures to curb the advancement of North Korea's nuclear capabilities.

Lee's call for diplomacy comes as North Korea continues to deepen its military ties with Russia, receiving financial assistance, food, energy, and military technology in exchange for supplying troops and ammunition to Russia's war in Ukraine. Analysts note that Pyongyang's actions demonstrate its status as a "irreversible nuclear state," a stance adopted following the collapse of a 2019 summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump, which centered on denuclearization and sanctions relief.

Just days before the start of annual US-South Korea military exercises, Lee's proposal to engage in dialogue is met with skepticism by North Korea. The exercises, involving about 28,500 troops, are seen by Pyongyang as provocative. Although Lee has adopted a more conciliatory approach towards Pyongyang compared to his predecessor, North Korea has consistently rejected previous offers of engagement, describing South Korea as its most hostile state and bolstering its frontline defenses in response.