President Lee Calls on North Korea to Restore Trust and Resume Severed Dialogue

President Lee Jae-myung called on North Korea, stating, "I look forward to and urge the North to now join the path toward restoring trust and resuming severed dialogue."

Speaking today (October 1) at the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony, President Lee said, "Although the knot of inter-Korean relations is intricately tangled, we will continue to untangle it step by step with patience."

President Lee emphasized, "The South and the North must find a 'path where both win together' for peace on the Korean Peninsula and build trust," adding, "Trust cannot be built with a single word. It builds up bit by bit only when words match actions."

Regarding the recent landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), President Lee said without directly mentioning North Korea, "My heart still aches when I think of our soldiers who were injured in an unexpected accident in the Demilitarized Zone not long ago."

He continued, "It makes me reflect once again that the ordinary days we enjoy are built upon someone else's peril," adding, "I wish them a speedy recovery and extend my deepest words of comfort to their families."

President Lee said he would fundamentally improve service conditions for military personnel, citing significant increases in the base pay of junior officers and incentives for short-term service noncommissioned officers.

He also pledged to uphold the principle of "special compensation for special sacrifice," stating, "The more we repay dedication to the nation and community with fitting treatment and due respect, the stronger our national security will become."

In his address today, President Lee proposed realizing self-reliant defense through the transition of wartime operational control, leaping forward as a "smart elite military," and introducing a "selective volunteer military system."

Addressing the December 3 illegal martial law, he emphasized, "To resolutely ensure that an illegal insurrection by the military never happens again, we will establish a culture and institutional systems where our military can dedicate itself solely to its primary mission."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.