Bridging The Divide: South Korea’s New Approach To Inter Korea Relations

June 2025, when Lee Jae-myung became president, South Korea’s inter-Korea policies are slowly changing. For years, each administration has had different opinions from confrontation to reconciliation. Lee’s approach, however, seems to be something in between. A mix of cautious goodwill and a firm defense.

His first act was to silence the loudspeakers at the border. For years South Korea had blasted propaganda, music, and slogans across the DMZ, reminding hostility. In June, Lee shut them off as a means to say “We’re willing to take the first step.” Along with this, he pledged to bring back the 2018 inter-Korean military agreement, which had once promised a safer border. This showed how South Korea is willing to respect North Korea’s system and that unification by absorption was not his goal. Instead, he leaned towards peaceful coexistence.

Not only that, civilian channels that were once frozen under Yoon Suk Yeol, are beginning to open again. Unlike the ambitious, often grand projects of earlier governments, Lee’s plan is to restore what once existed before rushing into bold new actions. At the same time, Lee has made it clear that defense and deterrence remain the backbone of policy. Alliances with the U.S. are being reinforced, military readiness is non-negotiable, and provocations will not be ignored. In essence, Lee is building trust without lowering his guard.

Compared to Yoon’s actions where dialogue was nearly abandoned, Lee is testing the waters. Where Yoon demanded conditions, Lee is saying not every door has to stay locked. However, this is nowhere near perfect. North Korea has so far shown little interest, with more missile tests and gaining closer ties to Russia. 

So what exactly is Lee trying to build? Perhaps a middle path—neither the hard line that deepens silence nor the optimism that promises too much too fast. Whether this approach will lead to real dialogue or remain a pause in hostilities depends not only on Seoul, but on Pyongyang’s willingness too. Lee’s experiment is not about erasing tension altogether—it’s about reshaping it.