South Korean President Lee Jae Myung used the country's Liberation Day ceremony on Saturday to propose direct dialogue with North Korea aimed at replacing the peninsula's decades-old armistice with a formal peace agreement — and at finding practical ways to limit Pyongyang's advancing nuclear programme.

Speaking at an event in Seoul marking the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule — Japan controlled the peninsula from 1910 to 1945 — Lee called on both Koreas to "put down our intentions to threaten each other" and begin talks as the directly involved parties. "I hope South and North Korea will sit face-to-face for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth," he said. The Korean War, which began with a North Korean attack in 1950 and ended in an armistice in 1953, left the two Koreas technically still at war, as no peace treaty was ever signed. Lee said he was committed to replacing what he called the "unstable armistice system" with a durable peace regime, and pledged to take "preemptive and consistent measures" to build a multilayered security system capable of containing escalation.

Lee, who took office in June 2025 and has been described as a dovish leader compared to his predecessor, has repeatedly offered engagement to Pyongyang without preconditions. His government notably shifted its position last month, with Seoul's unification minister stating that the South had abandoned a strategy focused on pressuring the North to dismantle its weapons, opting instead to prioritise halting the expansion of nuclear activities. North Korea has so far rebuffed all overtures. Kim Jong Un has formally abandoned Pyongyang's longstanding reunification policy, declared his country an "irreversible" nuclear state — a position hardened after a 2019 summit with then-US President Donald Trump collapsed in Hanoi — and described South Korea as its most hostile adversary. This week, Pyongyang denounced upcoming joint US-South Korean military exercises, warning of stronger deterrence measures in response.

North Korea's deepening alignment with Russia adds a further layer of complexity to the situation. Analysts say Pyongyang has been supplying troops and munitions to support Russia's war in Ukraine in exchange for financial support, food, energy and military technology. Kim Jong Un is expected to visit Russia later this year. Meanwhile, about 28,500 US troops remain stationed in South Korea under a longstanding security alliance with Seoul. A US military spokesman noted this week that North Korean forces had returned from Ukraine with battlefield experience that could alter the threat environment on the peninsula.

Saturday's speech also touched on South Korea's relationship with Japan. Lee highlighted active diplomatic engagement between the two countries over the past year, citing progress in supply chain cooperation, energy and advanced technology, and expressed hope for a new era of peace and prosperity with Tokyo. The dual messaging — reaching northward for reconciliation while consolidating ties with a historical rival to the east — underscores the delicate balancing act Lee faces as he pursues an ambitious foreign policy agenda against a backdrop of regional military tension.