Honouring South Korea’s 81st Liberation Day was seen as an opportunity by President Lee Jae-yung to present a renewed vision for transforming the Korean Peninsula from a decades-old armistice into a lasting peace regime, while urging dialogue with North Korea regarding its nuclear capabilities.
Families of independence fighters, government and party officials, foreign ambassadors and citizens were among the estimated 3,000 attendees who took part in the Seoul ceremony.
Lee links peace talks to nuclear restraint
In his proposal, Lee said he strives to restart direct discussions with Pyongyang despite its persistent refusal to respond to Seoul’s reconciliation efforts since the beginning of his presidential term in June last year.
“Let us put down our intentions to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties,” Lee stated, adding, “In the process, (we) may also discuss effective ways to halt the advancement of the North’s nuclear capabilities.”
An armistice was what concluded the Korean War in 1953 instead of a peace treaty, which technically kept the two Koreas in war mode.
Lee assures the country that his administration would do its best to shift an “unstable armistice system” to a peace regime.
The president said he seeks to create an environment where both sides can coexist with lowered tensions rather than making immediate concessions.
He urged both parties to respect each other’s systems and start by “reducing hostility in the perceptions, norms and systems.”
“I hope South and North Korea will sit face-to-face for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth,” the president was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.
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Seoul seeks stability amid continued tensions
Lee also proposed a “multilayered security system” and vowed “preemptive and consistent measures for peace” to avert the further escalation of military tensions as security conditions continue to change around the peninsula.
“By inducing a positive response from the North, I will create a stable Korean Peninsula,” the president said, arguing that peace would also bolster co-operation in Northeast Asia and aid in achieving a world free of nuclear weapons.
“I will turn the energy of hostility and confrontation into momentum for peaceful coexistence and mutual growth,” he added.
Additionally, Lee underscored South Korea’s strengthened relations with Japan, noting a year of “shuttle diplomacy” that he claimed had improved co-operation in supply chains, energy and advanced technologies.
“Going forward, our government will expand the scope of co-operation (with Japan) for mutual interests and address shared challenges by mustering wisdom,” the president said.
Pyongyang is yet to comment on Seoul’s overtures, but there is no denying the challenges this diplomatic impasse has brought upon South Korea and its administration.
Nevertheless, Lee is hopeful that his proposal can become a starting point to achieving a lasting peace on the peninsula.
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Ian Trinidad 
Eugene Nicklaus S. Laqui 
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