South Korean President proposed "peace without absorption" to North Korea and restoration of military agreements

Amid rising tensions between Seoul and Pyongyang, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung announced his readiness to respect the North's political system and abandon the scenario of unification through absorption. In a speech on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula, he emphasized the need to restore the suspended 2018 military agreement to reduce the risk of armed incidents and restore trust. This is reported by Yonhap, writes UNN.

Details

Speaking at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Lee Jae-myung outlined a new approach to inter-Korean relations. The president stated that South Korea recognizes the existing political system of the DPRK, does not plan any steps aimed at undermining it or forced unification, and seeks to avoid any hostile actions.

These statements came just a day after Kim Yo Jong, the sister of the North Korean leader, sharply rejected Seoul's reconciliation proposal, calling it an "unachievable dream." Despite this, Lee emphasized that the key to peace on the peninsula is the complete denuclearization of the North and the development of friendly ties with neighbors.

A peaceful Korean Peninsula must be free of nuclear weapons and based on friendly cooperation with neighboring countries

He also reaffirmed his readiness to take "gradual and proactive" steps to restore the 2018 inter-Korean military pact, which provided for restrictions on military activity in border areas. The agreement was suspended by the previous administration amid rising conflict.

Since taking office in June, Lee has already taken the first steps in this direction – he ordered the cessation of propaganda broadcasts along the border and called on public activists to stop launching balloons with leaflets. North Korea, according to South Korean military officials, has also suspended its own broadcasts, although official Pyongyang denies this.

Lee dedicated a separate part of his speech to Japan. On the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations, he called Tokyo an "indispensable partner" and called for "shuttle diplomacy" – regular bilateral meetings aimed at economic and political cooperation. The president emphasized that future partnership should be built on a sincere recognition of the complex historical past.

Lee plans to visit Tokyo on August 23–24 for talks with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, and also to prepare the ground for a future trilateral summit with US President Donald Trump, where regional security and stability issues will be discussed.

Recall

The sister of the DPRK leader Kim Yo Jong refuted Seoul's statements about the dismantling of North Korean loudspeakers on the border. She accused South Korea of excessive optimism and stressed that Pyongyang has no intention of removing them.