Camille Naredo

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day in Seoul on August 15, 2026.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day in Seoul on August 15, 2026. (Photo by Lee Jin-man / POOL / AFP)

Article (news)

Lee Jae Myung

Agence France-Presse

SEOUL, South Korea -- South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the long-running Korean War, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia while asserting its status as an &quot;irreversible&quot; nuclear state.The two Koreas remain technically at war because their 1950-53 conflict, triggered by a North Korean attack, ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.Lee made the proposal in his speech at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Korea&#x27;s liberation from Japan&#x27;s 1910-45 colonial rule.&quot;Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties,&quot; Lee said in his speech.&quot;Through this, it may also be possible to discuss effective measures to halt the advancement of North Korea&#x27;s nuclear capabilities,&quot; he added.Lee&#x27;s proposal came as North Korea this week denounced upcoming annual US-South Korean military drills, warning of stronger deterrence measures.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2026/8/12/north-korea-fires-ballistic-missile-ahead-of-us-south-drills-0832">READ: North Korea fires ballistic missile ahead of US-South drills</a></div>Pyongyang has also recently been bristling over Japan&#x27;s gradual military build-up in the Pacific -- firing off two missiles in as many weeks after Tokyo pledged to up its defense capabilities with a &quot;sense of urgency and crisis&quot;.North Korea has repeatedly declared itself an &quot;irreversible&quot; nuclear state since a 2019 summit between Kim and US counterpart Donald Trump in Hanoi collapsed over the scope of denuclearization and sanctions relief.South Korea&#x27;s dovish President Lee has reversed the stance of his hawkish predecessor since taking power in Seoul in June 2025, offering nuclear-armed Pyongyang talks without preconditions.<div> </div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1786773936088AFP__20260815__C4Q26G3__v1__MidRes__SkoreaHistoryWwiiAnniversary.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day in Seoul on August 15, 2026. Lee Jin-man, AFP"/>South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to celebrate the 81st anniversary of the Korean Liberation Day in Seoul on August 15, 2026. Lee Jin-man, AFP</div>In July, South Korea&#x27;s unification minister even claimed Seoul had abandoned its campaign prioritizing pressure on the North to dismantle its nuclear weapons, focusing instead on halting the expansion of Pyongyang&#x27;s nuclear activities.The hermetic leadership of North Korea has yet to respond to Lee&#x27;s repeated offers, and has instead bolstered military ties with Russia.Analysts say Pyongyang is receiving financial support, food, energy and military technology from Moscow for supplying troops and munitions for Russia&#x27;s war in Ukraine.North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is expected to visit Russia later this year, potentially to discuss further weapons supplies to Moscow.Washington, Seoul&#x27;s key security ally, stationed about 28,500 troops in South Korea to bolster the country&#x27;s defenses against military threats from Pyongyang.Colonel Ryan Donald, spokesman for the US and South Korean Combined Forces Command, said this week that North Korea&#x27;s deployment to the European war had changed the threat his soldiers may face on the Korean peninsula.&quot;They&#x27;ve taken those lessons they learned there and brought them back to North Korea,&quot; he told reporters as he talked about the 11-day South Korea-US joint exercises due to begin Monday.&quot;Our training accounts for that threat.&quot;

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the long-running Korean War, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia while asserting its status as an "irreversible" nuclear state.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to formally end the long-running Korean War, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Russia while asserting its status as an "irreversible" nuclear state.

South Korea president proposes talks with North to formally end Korean War

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

World

South Korea president proposes talks with North to formally end Korean War

Agence France-Presse

Published August 15, 2026 02:53 PM PHT

Read More:

Seoul

South Korea

North Korea

Korean War

Lee Jae Myung

diplomacy

United States

Russia

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Haven't received our newsletter?

Check your inbox to verify and confirm your subscription.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.