Lee Urges North Korea Dialogue, Pledges Military Buildup — SkimNews
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- Lee Jae Myung called on North Korea to restore trust and resume dialogue, pledging his administration would "consistently pursue practical measures to reduce military tensions" in an Oct. 1 Armed Forces Day address in Gyeryong.
- Kim Yo Jong rejected the landmine incident findings on Sept. 30, accused Seoul of fabricating the results, and warned of retaliation after a blast wounded three South Korean soldiers in the Demilitarized Zone.
- South Korea's military and the UN Command determined North Korea violated the Korean War armistice following the landmine blast — a finding Pyongyang denied and dismissed.
- South Korea will build nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2030s and upgrade missile defense with AI-based command-and-control systems and high-energy laser interceptors, Lee announced.
- Lee reaffirmed his goal of securing wartime operational control (OPCON) transfer from the United States to South Korea, calling it part of a self-reliant national defense push.
- The modernization drive will expand AI capabilities, restructure the military for future warfare, and strengthen South Korea's three-axis defense system for detecting and intercepting missile threats.
- North Korea has largely rejected Seoul's overtures while pressing ahead with DMZ border fortification work, undercutting Lee's diplomatic opening.
Why it matters: Lee is simultaneously extending a diplomatic hand and launching one of South Korea's most ambitious defense upgrades — nuclear-powered submarines, laser interceptors, AI command systems — making the mid-2030s submarine target a concrete benchmark. The unresolved landmine row, which drew Kim Yo Jong's retaliation threat, makes the dialogue track harder even as the OPCON transfer push signals Seoul wants greater autonomy under the US alliance.
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