South Korean President Lee Jae Myung says his government will scale back some military activities along the border with North Korea as part of efforts to ease tensions on the peninsula.
In a speech marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee said he would move to restore the September 19 Comprehensive Military Agreement – a 2018 inter-Korean pact that halted certain military drills, banned live-fire exercises near the border, set no-fly zones, removed some guard posts in the DMZ, and maintained hotlines. The agreement collapsed amid rising tensions, with former President Yoon Suk Yeol fully suspending it in June 2024 after North Korea sent hundreds of trash-filled balloons into the South.
Lee framed the restoration as part of broader de-escalation efforts, including stopping activists from sending anti-North Korea leaflets by balloon and dismantling loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts. He did not give a timeline but said the steps would be “proactive” and “gradual,” aiming to prevent accidental clashes and build trust.
How Pyongyang will respond is unclear. North Korean officials have recently dismissed Lee’s other conciliatory gestures, and analysts expect the North to ignore or criticize this move unless paired with bigger incentives – such as persuading U.S. President Donald Trump to ease sanctions. The North is expected to closely watch Lee’s upcoming summit with Trump later this month.
Lee also touched on relations with Japan, calling for a “forward-looking” approach based on pragmatic diplomacy and national interest. He will visit Tokyo on August 23 for talks with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, with both countries navigating the impact of U.S. tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. While Lee has previously been skeptical of closer Seoul-Tokyo ties, he pledged to deepen cooperation during a meeting with Ishiba at the G7 summit in June.
