SAEDNEWS: South Korea President Lee Jae Myung directed government ministries, Monday, to prepare for the phased implementation of existing inter-Korean agreements, in a significant shift from his predecessor's hard-line stance toward Pyongyang.
Presiding over a Cabinet meeting, Lee urged officials to begin with steps that could be implemented immediately, signaling his administration’s intent to ease tensions and take a more conciliatory stance toward Pyongyang. The call came on the day that South Korea and the United States launched their annual Ulchi Freedom Shield joint military exercise. Lee emphasized that inter-Korean relations remain critical amid a rapidly shifting security landscape, The Korea Times reported.
The directive marks a distinct departure from the policy of the previous Yoon Suk Yeol administration, which had largely dismissed previous accords with North Korea as nonbinding and often counterproductive. While Yoon had prioritized strengthening the alliance with Washington and confronting what he saw as Pyongyang’s increasingly bellicose behavior, Lee’s directive signals a pivot back toward engagement and a willingness to use diplomacy to ease tensions. By reviving old agreements, the Lee administration is signaling a belief that the path to peace lies not in confrontation, but in building on a foundation of previously established dialogue.
“To safeguard our national interests and expand diplomatic space amid swiftly shifting external conditions, inter-Korean relations are crucial,” Lee said in his opening remarks.
He further emphasized that true security lies not only in military strength but also in sustained efforts to reduce tensions.
“The most competent form of security is protecting peace. It is better to win without fighting than to win through combat, and better still to achieve a peace that makes fighting unnecessary,” he said.
“On the foundation of a strong defense posture, what is required now is the courage to steadily take steps that lower tensions. Like small stones stacked together, each act of good faith can help restore mutual trust, widen the path to peace and build the groundwork for shared growth between the two Koreas.”
Lee reiterated his call for ministries to develop phased plans to implement realistic commitments outlined in past inter-Korean agreements — from the declaration of Oct. 4, 2007, which aimed to expand economic cooperation, to the highly symbolic 2018 Panmunjeom Declaration, in which the leaders of both Koreas formally pledged “no more war” and committed to denuclearization. The North-South Joint Declaration of June 15, 2000, from the first inter-Korean summit served as a cornerstone of the Sunshine Policy and ushered in a period of unprecedented engagement.
Building on his National Liberation Day address, Lee pledged to restore the 2018 military accord and honor the other inter-Korean agreements. He stressed that his government will "immediately implement any possible measures," prioritizing the prevention of accidental clashes and the building of military trust with North Korea.
On the same day, the Ministry of Unification also announced plans to pursue a policy aimed at fostering a new era of peaceful coexistence and shared growth on the Korean Peninsula. It signaled a break from the previous administration’s Unification Doctrine, announced on Aug. 15, 2024, and centered on a "freedom-based unification" that sought to improve human rights and promote the spread of information within North Korea.
Ministry spokesperson Koo Byung-sam said during a press briefing that the president outlined the direction of the government’s North Korea policy during his Liberation Day address, which highlighted three key pillars: "respecting North Korea’s system, refraining from pursuing unification by absorption and avoiding all hostile actions."
Koo emphasized that the government has moved decisively away from the Yoon administration’s emphasis on anti-North and absorption-focused unification policies.
“The government will continue to consistently implement measures to reduce tensions and restore inter-Korean trust,” Koo said.
Regarding the previous doctrine, Koo said that it was overly focused on values and ideology such as freedom and human rights, and that the policy-making process lacked sufficient input from the National Assembly.
Earlier, Unification Minister Chung Dong-young suggested scaling down the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises and reviving humanitarian aid projects such as constructing hospitals in Pyongyang, signaling a return to the rapprochement approach once championed by the North Korea policy duo of Chung and former Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, who now heads the National Intelligence Service.
After Chung's suggestion, the government announced some live-fire drills would be postponed in the joint drills, citing an ongoing heat wave ostensibly.
