South Korea's Lee urges talks with North Korea to replace armistice with peace

In South Korea on 15 August 2026, Liberation Day, President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea to replace the armistice with a formal peace and officially end the Korean War. According to Yonhap, he also called for a halt to Pyongyang’s nuclear program. KBS World described the speech as a blueprint for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and Korea Herald wrote that Lee underscored peace with North Korea and trust with Japan.

Asahi Shimbun wrote that Lee said he would continue ‘practical diplomacy’ and referred to ‘past pain’. On the same occasion, Xi expressed value for the development of South Korea-China relations, and the US congratulated South Korea on Liberation Day.