Gyeryong, 1 October, 2026 (Ghufran): South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has called on North Korea to restore trust and resume dialogue, while pledging to strengthen the country’s military capabilities. Speaking at an Armed Forces Day ceremony, Lee urged Pyongyang to join efforts to rebuild trust and reopen dialogue after a prolonged interruption, saying his administration would continue pursuing practical measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas. His remarks came a day after South Korea’s military and the United Nations Command accused North Korea of violating the Korean War armistice following a landmine explosion in the Demilitarized Zone that injured three South Korean soldiers. Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, rejected the findings, accusing Seoul of fabricating the results and warning of retaliation. Lee also reaffirmed his goal of transferring wartime operational control from the United States to South Korea as part of efforts to strengthen self-reliant national defence. Under his defence reform agenda, Lee said South Korea plans to develop nuclear-powered submarines by the mid-2030s and enhance its missile defence capabilities through artificial intelligence-based command-and-control systems and high-energy laser interceptors. He added that the modernisation programme would expand the use of artificial intelligence, restructure the military for future warfare and strengthen the country’s three-axis defence system for detecting and intercepting missile threats. Lee’s government has sought to reopen dialogue with North Korea, while Pyongyang has largely rejected Seoul’s overtures and continued fortification work along the Demilitarized Zone.