President keeps NK dialogue push amid DMZ mine dispute

President Lee Jae Myung said in Gyeryongdae on Thursday that South Korea will keep pursuing practical steps to reduce military tensions with North Korea and urged Pyongyang to restore dialogue. His remarks came after Seoul blamed North Korean mines for a Sept. 21 DMZ explosion that injured three South Korean service members. Lee also renewed calls for wartime operational control transfer and for a unified military academy plan.

Lee spoke at the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony at Gyeryongdae in South Chungcheong Province.

The South Korean military said a Sept. 21 DMZ explosion injured three South Korean service members.

The U.S.-led United Nations Command said the incident constituted an armistice violation.

Lee said the Defense Ministry is expected to unveil a detailed plan in October for integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force academies.

Lee said South Korea will work with the people to transfer wartime operational control before the end of his term.

Published Oct 1, 2026 2:30 pm KST

Armed Forces Day address calls for reduced tensions with OPCON transfer

President Lee Jae Myung delivers an address during the 78th Armed Forces Day ceremony at Gyeryongdae in Gyeryong, South Chungcheong Province, Thursday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung pledged Thursday to continue taking practical steps to reduce military tensions with North Korea and urged Pyongyang to join efforts to restore dialogue.

The message, delivered in his Armed Forces Day address, signaled that Lee intends to keep his engagement policy intact despite renewed friction over the latest land mine incident in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ).

“The knots in inter-Korean relations are extremely complex, but we will steadily, patiently strive to untie them, one by one,” Lee said during a ceremony marking the 78th Armed Forces Day at Gyeryongdae, the military headquarters in South Chungcheong Province.

“I hope that the North joins us now on the path of restoring trust and resuming dialogue, following a long interruption,” he added.

The president went onto say that Seoul would “consistently pursue practical measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas,” stressing that the surest form of security is creating peace that makes fighting unnecessary.

Lee’s remarks came a day after the South Korean military formally blamed North Korean mines for a Sept. 21 explosion in the DMZ, which injured three South Korean service members, and demanded an apology and responsible measures from Pyongyang.

The U.S.-led United Nations Command concluded that North Korean mines were involved and said the incident constituted an armistice violation.

North Korea has denied responsibility, calling the incident a fabrication and warning of retaliation if South Korean forces attack North Korean troops conducting fortification work near the border.

Lee referred to the blast only as an “unfortunate accident” in his speech and focused on wishing the injured service members a speedy recovery, without directly blaming Pyongyang.

The message appeared intended to underscore Lee’s determination to prevent individual military incidents from dictating his broader North Korea policy, even as the latest dispute puts that approach under renewed pressure.

Meanwhile, the president paired his conciliatory message toward Pyongyang with an emphasis on strengthening South Korea’s military autonomy.

Calling self-reliant defense “sovereignty itself,” Lee renewed his commitment to regaining wartime operational control of South Korean forces.

“Going forward, we will work together with the people to fulfill this half century-old aspiration by transferring wartime operational control (OPCON),” Lee said.

The issue was discussed during Lee’s Sept. 22 summit with U.S. Donald Trump in New York, reportedly the first time the two leaders addressed the envisioned OPCON transfer at the summit level.

Lee also pressed ahead with another contentious military reform — creating a unified Republic of Korea Armed Forces Academy by integrating the Army, Navy and Air Force academies.

“I urge all stakeholders to remain open to a broad range of views, build consensus throughout the military and move swiftly and boldly to establish the Republic of Korea Armed Forces Academy,” he said.

The plan has faced strong resistance from academy alumni and cadets, with an August public hearing disrupted by heated protests. The Defense Ministry is expected to unveil a detailed integration plan in October.

韩国总统李在明周四在鸡龙台表示，韩国将继续采取切实措施缓和与朝鲜的军事紧张局势，并敦促平壤恢复对话。此前，首尔方面指责朝鲜地雷造成9月21日非军事区爆炸，导致三名韩国军人受伤。李在明还再次呼吁交接战时作战指挥权，并制定统一军事院校计划。

李在忠清南道鸡龙台举行的第78届武装部队日仪式上发表了讲话。

韩国军方称，9月21日非军事区发生的爆炸造成三名韩国军人受伤。

美国领导的联合国军司令部表示，该事件构成违反停战协定。

李表示，国防部预计将于10月份公布陆军、海军和空军院校整合的详细计划。

李表示，韩国将在其任期结束前与人民合作，移交战时作战指挥权。

发布于2026年10月1日下午2:30（韩国标准时间）

武装部队日讲话呼吁缓和紧张局势，并交接作战指挥权。

周四，李在明总统在忠清南道鸡龙郡鸡龙台举行的第78届韩国人民军建军节仪式上发表讲话。（韩联社）

李在明总统周四承诺将继续采取切实措施降低与朝鲜的军事紧张局势，并敦促平壤加入恢复对话的努力。

李在武装部队日讲话中传达的信息表明，尽管非军事区 (DMZ) 最近发生的地雷事件引发了新的摩擦，但他仍打算保持其接触政策不变。

李在忠清南道鸡龙台举行的纪念韩国建军节第78个日的仪式上说：“韩朝关系错综复杂，但我们将稳步、耐心地努力逐一解开这些结。”

“我希望北方现在能加入我们，走上重建信任、恢复对话的道路，结束长期的中断，”他补充道。

总统接着表示，首尔将“持续采取切实措施，减少朝韩之间的军事紧张局势”，并强调最可靠的安全方式是创造和平，使战争不再必要。

李的这番言论是在韩国军方正式指责朝鲜地雷造成9月21日非军事区爆炸事件（造成三名韩国军人受伤）的第二天发表的。韩国军方要求平壤道歉并采取负责任的措施。

美国领导的联合国军司令部认定朝鲜地雷参与了此次事件，并表示该事件构成违反停战协定。

朝鲜否认对此事件负责，称其系捏造，并警告称，如果韩国军队攻击在边境附近进行防御工事建设的朝鲜军队，将予以报复。

李在讲话中仅将爆炸事件称为“不幸的意外”，并着重祝愿受伤的军人早日康复，没有直接指责平壤。

这条信息似乎意在强调李在镕的决心，即防止个别军事事件左右他更广泛的对朝政策，尽管最近的争端使这一做法面临新的压力。

与此同时，总统在向平壤发出和解信号的同时，也强调要加强韩国的军事自主权。

李将自卫称为“主权本身”，并重申了他重新夺回韩国军队战时作战控制权的决心。

李说：“展望未来，我们将与人民共同努力，通过移交战时作战指挥权（OPCON）来实现这一半个世纪以来的愿望。”

据报道，李显龙在9月22日与美国总统唐纳德·特朗普在纽约举行的峰会上讨论了这一问题，这是两位领导人首次在峰会层面讨论设想中的作战指挥权移交问题。

李明博还推进了另一项备受争议的军事改革——通过整合陆军、海军和空军学院，创建统一的韩国武装部队学院。

他说：“我敦促所有利益相关者保持开放态度，接受各种不同的观点，在军队内部达成共识，并迅速而果断地推进韩国武装部队学院的建设。”

该计划遭到军校校友和学员的强烈反对，8月份举行的公开听证会因激烈抗议而中断。国防部预计将于10月份公布详细的整合计划。