ISTANBUL

South Korea’s Unification Ministry said Friday it will pursue a political “peace declaration” aimed at formally ending the Korean War and laying the groundwork for a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula, according to local media.

In a report submitted to the National Assembly, the ministry said the declaration would express the political will of key parties to move beyond the 1953 armistice that halted the fighting but never formally ended the war, Yonhap News reported.

Technically, North Korea and South Korea remain at war because the conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

The proposed initiative would involve South Korea, North Korea, the United States and China, which were signatories to the original armistice agreement.

The plan comes after President Lee Jae Myung pledged renewed efforts to transform the decades-old ceasefire into a lasting peace arrangement, including discussions on a possible peace treaty.

Officials said the declaration would serve as a political step toward easing tensions and creating conditions for broader negotiations on regional security and stability.

The idea resembles a similar initiative pursued by former President Moon Jae-in. His push for an end-of-war declaration stalled after the 2019 Hanoi summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and then-US President Donald Trump ended without an agreement.

Seoul also warned that Pyongyang could respond with criticism or military demonstrations during the upcoming Freedom Shield joint military exercises between South Korea and the United States scheduled for March 9–19.