North Korea Silent on South Korea's Proposal to End Korean War

SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Yonhap) -- North Korea remained silent Sunday on South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's proposal to officially end the 1950-53 Korean War. Lee proposed dialogue to formally end the Korean War and establish a peace regime during a Liberation Day address Saturday that marked the 81st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. The two Koreas technically remain at war since the three-year conflict ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty. North Korean state media, such as the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) and the Rodong Sinmun, however, did not carry any reports on Lee's address as of Sunday morning. They instead focused reporting on commemorative events across the country on the occasion of the anniversary, such as people visiting statutes of the country's late leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il to pledge their loyalty. Lee's dialogue overture came despite the North remaining unresponsive to Seoul's repeated reconciliatory gestures since Lee took office in June last year. The Lee administration has pledged to consistently pursue dialogue with North Korea in pursuit of peaceful coexistence with the regime.