Lee calls for phased steps to implement existing inter-Korean pacts to restore ties with North

South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung on August 18 instructed government ministries to “prepare for the phased implementation of existing inter-Korean agreements starting with what is possible.”

Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul, coinciding with the start of the Ulchi Freedom Shield (UFS) military exercises, Lee said, “In rapidly changing external conditions, inter-Korean relations are very important for safeguarding Korea’s national interests and expanding diplomatic space.”

In his Liberation Day speech on August 15, Lee said, “Our government will honor existing agreements and implement what can be implemented immediately,” adding that “in particular, we will proactively and gradually restore the Sept. 19 military agreement to prevent accidental clashes and build military trust.”

The Sept. 19 military agreement, which took effect in 2018 and stipulated the suspension of all hostile acts between the two Koreas, was scrapped in 2023 after Pyongyang declared it void.

Minister of Unification Chung Dong-young also told the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee on August 18 that the ministry would “carefully manage the situation while building military trust through steps such as restoring military hotlines and the Sept. 19 agreement.”

Lee stressed during the Cabinet meeting that the Ulchi drills were not intended to provoke Pyongyang, according to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung.

“He made it clear in the closed-door session that Ulchi exercises are defensive in nature, aimed at protecting the lives and safety of our people, and are not intended to attack North Korea or escalate tensions,” Kang said.

She added that Lee “reiterated that the fundamental purpose of this exercise is to secure peace on the Korean Peninsula and safeguard our citizens.”

The UFS joint exercises with the United States began on August 18 and will continue through August 28. Of the 40 planned field training exercises, about half have been rescheduled for next month.

While some observers speculated this was to reduce friction with Pyongyang, Kim Yo-jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, dismissed the drills on August 14 as “not worth evaluating and a futile effort.”

Despite this, Lee underscored that Seoul has “no intention of attacking the North,” signaling continuity in his conciliatory approach.

Since taking office, Lee has made restoring inter-Korean ties a central policy priority. At his first National Security Council meeting on June 10, he called for “efforts to restore severed inter-Korean relations.” His administration has also halted the sending of propaganda leaflets across the border and stopped loudspeaker broadcasts.

During his first 70 days in office, his messaging on North Korea has been as frequent as his statements on workplace safety.

“It is true that the president has made improving inter-Korean relations a major theme early in his term,” said a senior ruling party official. “His determination to achieve tangible results in inter-Korean affairs is strong.”

Lee is expected to deliver more proactive messages to Pyongyang in the coming months, with his upcoming address to the United Nations General Assembly in September likely to highlight his willingness to improve ties. Further gestures may also come during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Gyeongju at the end of October.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet on August 18 approved bills previously vetoed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol, including amendments to the Broadcasting Act, Grain Management Act and Agricultural and Fishery Products Distribution and Price Stabilization Act.

BY YOON SUNG-MIN [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]