South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s attempt in engagement with the North by unilaterally reviving some inter-Korean agreements is a long-term reconciliation strategy even as Pyongyang remains hostile towards Seoul, according to analysts.
Lee ordered government ministries on Monday to prepare for a phased implementation of the suspended agreements, beginning with those that Seoul could act on independently.
His latest call for trust-building came as the annual Ulchi Freedom Shield military exercise began across South Korea, bringing together 18,000 South Korean troops and thousands of American soldiers for 11 days of joint drills from Monday until August 28.
Long branded by Pyongyang as a rehearsal for invasion, the event has consistently spurred North Korea to engage in brinkmanship, such as missile launches and artillery drills.
Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Lee said: “It is better to win without fighting than to win by fighting. Even better than that is to create a peaceful state in which fighting is unnecessary – this is the most reliable security.”
Calling for “the courage to steadily take steps to ease tensions while firmly maintaining an ironclad defence posture”, he added: “True security lies in safeguarding peace.”
