Seoul: President Lee Jae-myung on Thursday vowed to pursue a swift restoration of dialogue channels with North Korea, a day after South Korea halted loudspeaker broadcasts against the North in his first concrete measure to ease tensions with Pyongyang.

According to Yonhap News Agency, in a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the 2000 inter-Korean summit, Lee stated his intent to "stop the exhausting hostilities" with North Korea and resume inter-Korean dialogue and cooperation. Lee emphasized the importance of quickly restoring the suspended inter-Korean communication channels as part of a broader effort to prevent accidental clashes and avoid escalating tensions.

However, the response from North Korea to Lee's dialogue proposal remains uncertain, as Pyongyang has shown little interest in engaging with either Seoul or Washington, especially given its growing alignment with Russia. Despite this, Lee expressed his commitment to promoting peace, coexistence, and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. His speech, delivered by Woo Sang-ho, the presidential secretary for political affairs, highlighted the significance of the June 15 Declaration signed during the 2000 summit by former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

Lee praised the declaration as a milestone for peace and pledged to uphold its spirit. He urged for a transformation of the Korean Peninsula risk into a "Korean Peninsula premium," positing that this would be a beneficial path forward for both South and North Korea.