South Korean President Calls for Direct Talks With North Korea

South Korea’s president has called for face-to-face talks with North Korea, saying the unresolved state of war between the two sides must end after seven decades.

He urged North Korean officials to set aside mutual threats and begin dialogue to bring an end to the long-running conflict. According to him, this process could help create a basis for easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The South Korean president also said the talks could include effective ways to halt North Korea’s nuclear advances. Alongside this proposal, he stressed the need to establish a multilayered security mechanism to contain crises and prevent new tensions.

The remarks come after North Korea previously condemned large-scale military exercises by the United States and South Korea, which are due to begin next week, describing them as provocative. Pyongyang said the drills could heighten tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice agreement, but the two sides have never signed a formal peace treaty; as a result, from a legal perspective, the state of war between the two Koreas has not yet officially ended.