South Korean Leadership Calls for Dialogue and Deterrence at Seoul Defense Dialogue

President Lee Jae Myung and Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back emphasized the pursuit of peace on the Korean Peninsula through a combination of dialogue and firm military deterrence during the Seoul Defense Dialogue on Tuesday. In a video message for the opening ceremony, President Lee vowed to continue efforts toward peaceful coexistence and mutual prosperity with North Korea. He noted that these goals would be pursued through trust and dialogue based on strong deterrence and independent defense capabilities. Lee also highlighted the need for a new model of security cooperation to address global challenges, including the undermining of the nuclear nonproliferation regime and unpredictable security threats posed by artificial intelligence.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back expressed a strong hope for the resumption of dialogue between North Korea and the United States, particularly as U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated an intent to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Ahn stated that the South Korean military would support this process with powerful might. He pointed to the removal of fixed loudspeakers along the inter-Korean border as an example of sustained, low-intensity efforts to create room for dialogue. Ahn argued that deterrence and dialogue must go hand in hand, warning that closed military communication channels could increase the risk of miscalculation and war.

The event follows a recent decision by President Trump to scale down joint South Korea-U.S. military exercises, a move President Lee said he respects as a means of creating conditions for dialogue. The annual forum, themed Toward a new coexistence in the age of turbulence, is expected to host approximately 1,000 personnel from 67 nations.