South Korea's Lee renews call to replace Korean War armistice with peace regime

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday renewed his call to replace the armistice that ended fighting in the Korean War with a permanent peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.

"To prevent tensions from rekindling due to shifts in domestic politics or changes in the international situation, (we) should replace the armistice, based on conflict and confrontation, with a peace regime anchored in cooperation and prosperity," Lee said, according to Seoul-based Yonhap News.

Addressing a gathering of the American unit of a presidential advisory body on unification in Incheon, Lee said South Korea should help pave the way for renewed North Korea-US dialogue, seeking to leverage US President Donald Trump's reengagement with Pyongyang to improve strained inter-Korean relations.

"Since a possibility of a shift in the situation on the Korean Peninsula, no matter how small, has been created by President Trump's determination, we should be the one to create an environment for constructive discussions on building trust and resuming dialogue between the US and North Korea," he said.

In his Liberation Day speech last month, Lee proposed that the two Koreas begin talks on formally ending their long-running conflict and discuss practical ways to stop the advancement of Pyongyang's nuclear program.

Seoul and Pyongyang have technically remained at war since the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty.

Lee said the two sides were wasting their energies on "unnecessary" confrontation, calling it an "unfortunate" and "tragic" reality that should be reversed.