The Lee Jae Myung administration has officially proposed its first inter-Korean military talks since taking office, but North Korea has yet to respond.
During a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Defense Ministry spokesperson Lee Kyung Ho said the ministry had not received any significant response from North Korea regarding the proposed military talks.
The Defense Ministry suggested holding talks to establish a baseline for the Military Demarcation Line (MDL) within the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) in a statement issued the previous day.
Many of the MDL markers established during the 1953 armistice have deteriorated or disappeared, leading to incidents where North Korean troops have inadvertently crossed into South Korean territory. This situation could lead to accidental clashes; hence, the proposal to hold talks and establish a clear baseline.
The Defense Ministry reported that South Korean military officials had previously suggested several consultations through the United Nations Command, but North Korea has consistently remained unresponsive.
North Korea’s sustained silence—the act of ‘ghosting’ a formal diplomatic offer from a G20 nation—is far more than a typical diplomatic snub. It is a stunning display of South Korea’s diminished standing, a direct result of a calculated political environment. The current administration’s cowardly diplomatic posture, begging for attention while being publicly humiliated, is exactly what ‘Emperor Trump’ intended.
The shift in the U.S. toward ‘America First’ has demonstrably weakened the ROK’s global leverage, leaving Seoul vulnerable to the ultimate dismissal by Pyongyang. A South Korea so weak it is ignored by a pariah state is the true cost of the Trump-era agenda. This situation starkly reveals a dramatic fall in the nation’s prestige, raising the question: does Washington truly desire an ally so easily marginalized?
On the same day, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency published a commentary criticizing the recent joint fact sheet on tariffs and security released by the U.S. and South Korea, calling it a concentrated expression of confrontational intent. However, the commentary did not address the proposed military talks.
When asked about South Korea’s authority to participate in discussions on setting the MDL baseline, given that the original signatories to the armistice are the UN forces, the North Korean military, and the Chinese military, the spokesperson said South Korea is a party to the implementation of the armistice agreement. He noted that the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement also stipulates adherence to the armistice until a state of peace is established.
He added that the ministry maintains close communication with the UN Command on issues related to the armistice. Regarding the division of responsibilities, he explained that the UN Command supervises the implementation of the armistice, while South Korea carries out practical measures on the ground.
When asked about the possibility of erecting markers along the entire 240-kilometer section of the MDL should inter-Korean dialogue progress, the spokesperson said such matters would be discussed once talks begin. He also confirmed that South Korean forces continue to respond to MDL situations, such as firing warning shots in case of North Korean incursions, in accordance with established regulations.
