South Korea's Lee urges North Korea to restore dialogue, pledges military buildup

South ​Korean President ​Lee Jae Myung ‌on Thursday ​called on North Korea to help ‌restore trust and resume dialogue, while pledging practical steps to lower military tensions ‌on the Korean Peninsula. The remarks ‌delivered in an address on South Korea's Armed Forces Day come a day after ⁠Seoul's ​military ⁠and the UN Command said North Korea violated ⁠the Korean War armistice following ​a landmine blast last week that wounded ⁠South Korean soldiers.

Lee also said in ⁠his ​speech that South Korea would build nuclear-powered submarines by the ⁠mid-2030s and upgrade missile defence capabilities, including AI-based ⁠command-and-control systems ⁠and high-energy laser interceptors, as part of a ‌broader military ‌modernisation drive.