South Korean President Lee Jae myung has characterized the current relationship with North Korea as being in an extremely dangerous state warning that the complete severance of communication channels increases the risk of an accidental military clash at any moment. Speaking to reporters aboard a flight from South Africa where he attended the G20 summit to Turkey for the final leg of his diplomatic tour the President expressed deep concern over the hostility on the peninsula.He noted that inter Korean ties have become highly confrontational and in the absence of even a basic level of trust Pyongyang is displaying increasingly extreme behavior including the installation of barbed wire fences along the Military Demarcation Line which is a measure not seen since the armistice of the 1950 53 Korean War.The situation has deteriorated to a point where the risk of an inadvertent conflict is significantly heightened because North Korea refuses to respond to any calls or dialogue attempts from Seoul. President Lee emphasized that engaging Pyongyang in conversation is crucial to defusing these tensions yet the North remains unresponsive to South Korea's recent proposal made on November 17 to hold military talks aimed at establishing a clear buffer zone and preventing armed skirmishes along the border. He acknowledged that achieving lasting peace with the North will be a long term endeavor but suggested that once a firm peace regime is successfully established it would be preferable for South Korea and the United States to cease their joint military drills which Pyongyang frequently condemns as rehearsals for nuclear war. Currently about 28500 American troops and various weapons systems remain stationed in the South as a deterrent.
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