South Korean President Lee Jae Myung speaks during an event of the Peaceful Unification Advisory Council at KINTEX in Goyang, north of Seoul, on Friday. Pool Photo by Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung proposed restoring communication channels with North Korea on Tuesday, saying it will serve as a starting point for “peaceful coexistence” between Seoul and Pyongyang.
Lee made the remarks during an event to mark the launch of the 22nd Peaceful Unification Advisory Council, stressing that unification is a path that must be taken regardless of whether it takes decades or even a millennium.
“The historic task given to us is to end hostility and confrontation between the two Koreas, and to build a new inter-Korean relationship based on peaceful existence,” Lee said, suggesting the Koreas begin by restoring their dialogue channels that have been suspended for seven years.
He stressed the need for “shared growth” that benefits both Seoul and Pyongyang, and called for gradual efforts to start cooperation in areas of global interest, such as climate and environmental issues, disaster, safety, and public health.
“We will continue our efforts to end the state of war on the Korean Peninsula, pursue a nuclear-free Korean Peninsula and establish lasting peace,” Lee said, vowing to act as a “pacemaker” to help facilitate dialogue between Washington and Pyongyang.
He added that the administration will take active measures to reduce military tensions along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and prevent accidental clashes in border areas.
“South Korea is a military power ranked among the world’s top five and a country with strong deterrence based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance,” Lee said, noting the country should not remain “trapped in the past” in regard to inter-Korean issues.
He also emphasized that South Korea has no intention of pursuing unification by absorption.
Since taking office in June, the Lee administration has vowed to resume dialogue and reconciliation with North Korea, suspending loudspeaker broadcasts along the border and urging civic groups to halt anti-Pyongyang leaflet campaigns as part of efforts to mend frayed ties.
Still, prospects for resuming dialogue with North Korea are uncertain as North Korea remains unresponsive South Korea’s peace overture. Last month, South Korea proposed military talks with North Korea to discuss the MDL, but there has been no response from Pyongyang so far.
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