South Korean president proposes talks with North to formally end war

SEOUL: South Korean President Lee Jae Myung proposed talks with North Korea on Saturday to formally end the long-running Korean war, as Pyongyang deepens ties with Moscow while asserting its status as an “irreversible” nuclear state. The two Koreas remain technically at war because their 1950-53 conflict ended with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Lee made the proposal in his speech at a ceremony marking the anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule. “Let us put down our intention to threaten each other and begin discussions to end the long-running war as the directly involved parties,” Lee said in his speech. Two countries are still at war since their…