Seoul: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday called for officials to make preemptive efforts to reduce tensions with North Korea, saying that Seoul needs to patiently seek a path to restore trust with Pyongyang.
“We must be patient and spare no efforts to preemptively and proactively ease hostilities” between Seoul and Pyongyang, Lee told a policy briefing by the ministries of foreign affairs and unification.
Lee addressed concerns over rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula, noting that North Korea has installed triple layers of barbed wire and barriers along the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) and cut roads and bridges connecting to the South.
“Since the Korean War in the 1950s, the two Koreas have confronted each other across the MDL, but this is the first time we have seen triple layers of barbed wire and the cutting of bridges,” he said during a policy briefing by the ministries of foreign affairs and unification, Yonhap news agency reported.
While there have been concerns in the South about a possible North Korean invasion, Lee said the reality appears to be the opposite.
“North Korea is said to be installing triple layers of barbed wire out of concerns over a South Korean invasion and building barriers in case tanks cross over,” he said.
Lee also pointed to Pyongyang’s hostile rhetoric defining the two Koreas as “two hostile states” and labeling South Korea as an “enemy,” saying the deepening hostility appears to stem from political considerations and should be addressed to help normalise inter-Korean relations.
“In the past, the two sides pretended to be enemies, but these days it feels like we are becoming real enemies,” he said.
“It appears that this situation was created by political ambitions. Now we need to find our way back to where we belong.”
Acknowledging that Pyongyang currently refuses to engage with Seoul, Lee stressed patience is essential to reduce tensions and rebuild trust.
“It is not easy, but we should not give up,” Lee said, emphasising the role of the unification ministry in that process.
(IANS)
