South Korea pushes for peace regime on Korean Peninsula

South Korean President Lee Jae-myuit, on Wednesday (2/9), updated his call to replace the armistice that ended the fighting in the Korean War with a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

“To prevent the resurgence of tensions due to changes in domestic politics or shifts in the international situation, (we) must replace the armistice, which is based on conflict and confrontation, with a peace regime based on cooperation and prosperity,” said Lee, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.

Speaking at a meeting of the advisory body to the US President on unification in Incheon, Lee stated that South Korea must help pave the way for the renewal of North Korea-US dialogue, by striving to utilise the re-engagement of US President Donald Trump with Pyongyang to improve strained inter-Korean relations.

“Because any potential change in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, however small, may be driven by President Trump’s determination, we must be the party that creates an environment for constructive discussion regarding building trust and continuing dialogue between the US and North Korea,” he said.

In his Liberation Day speech last month, Lee proposed that both Koreas begin negotiations to officially end their protracted conflict and discuss practical ways to halt the progress of Pyongyang’s nuclear programme.

Seoul and Pyongyang have technically remained at war since the Korean War of 1950-1953 ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Lee stated that both sides are wasting their energy on “unnecessary” confrontation, describing it as a “regrettable” and “tragic” reality that must be reversed.