ROK President Lee calls for dialogue with DPRK to formally end Korean War, pursue peaceful coexistence

SEOUL -- Republic of Korea President Lee Jae-myung on Saturday called on the ROK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to respect each other, refrain from unnecessary confrontation, and pursue peaceful coexistence and shared growth.

In his address marking the 81st anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee unveiled a roadmap for peaceful coexistence with the DPRK, calling for dialogue among the directly concerned parties to officially end the Korean War and transform the Korean Peninsula's unstable armistice into a peace regime.

The proposal builds on Lee's pledge at last year's Liberation Day ceremony that Seoul would respect the DPRK's system, rule out unification by absorption and refrain from hostile acts. Lee said that he was setting out steps to put those principles into practice.

Lee called on the two Koreas to respect each other and avoid unnecessary confrontation, while gradually reducing hostility in their perceptions, norms and institutions. He said he hoped the two sides could sit down together to explore ways toward peaceful coexistence and shared growth.

To make coexistence sustainable, Lee said the ROK would establish mechanisms to manage tensions and conflicts and build multiple safeguards against crises and escalation. Seoul would also comprehensively assess the security environment surrounding the peninsula and pursue proactive and sustained peace measures, he said.

Lee also proposed dialogue among the directly concerned parties to formally bring an end to the Korean War and replace the current armistice with a peace regime.