Armed Forces Day address

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung appealed to North Korea on Thursday to resume bilateral dialogue and rebuild trust across the peninsula. Speaking at a ceremony in Gyeryong marking Armed Forces Day, Lee affirmed that his administration intends to pursue steady measures to ease cross-border military frictions. He characterized inter-Korean disputes as complex challenges that require long-term persistence rather than confrontation. Lee referred to recent border friction as an unexpected incident, omitting direct public condemnation of Pyongyang during his address.

“I hope that the North joins us now on the path of restoring trust and resuming dialogue, following a long interruption.”

Demilitarized Zone blast and armistice investigation

The diplomatic appeal followed a 21 September landmine explosion in the southern sector of the Demilitarized Zone. The detonation occurred just metres south of the Military Demarcation Line during a routine patrol, injuring three South Korean soldiers. One officer lost a foot and two other personnel sustained severe wounds. A joint inquiry conducted by the South Korean military and the United States-led United Nations Command concluded that North Korean troops planted antipersonnel mines inside South Korean territory. Investigators also discovered a second unexploded North Korean antipersonnel mine during site inspections. South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin Chul stated on Monday that the devices were deliberately placed rather than displaced by rainfall, calling the act a breach of the 1953 armistice. Joint Chiefs of Staff Operations Director Kang Hyun-woo also demanded an apology and an end to border fortification.

Pyongyang rejection and border tensions

North Korea firmly rejected the investigative findings and denied involvement in the detonation. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, labeled South Korean military officials gangsters and dismissed the joint inquiry as an orchestrated conspiracy farce. She claimed South Korea fabricated physical evidence and warned of retaliation, while accusing Seoul of escalating tensions by firing warning shots near the border. Cross-border communication has remained suspended since late 2023, when Kim Jong Un formally abandoned reunification goals and defined South Korea as Pyongyang's principal enemy. North Korean forces have since constructed fortifications along their side of the 250-kilometre-long, four-kilometre-wide border buffer zone.

South Korean defence modernisation plans

Alongside diplomatic proposals, Lee outlined defence modernisation programmes to strengthen South Korea's independent military capabilities. The president reaffirmed his intention to complete the transfer of wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea. He announced plans to introduce nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2030s and upgrade the three-axis defence network designed to detect and intercept missile attacks. The modernisation agenda also includes developing high-energy laser interceptors and artificial-intelligence command systems. Lee, who took office in June 2025, previously indicated in a September interview that he would support easing economic sanctions if Pyongyang agreed to freeze its nuclear weapons development.