2018 – South Korea and North Korea sign the Sept 19 inter‑Korean military agreement, establishing a hotline and joint verification to prevent accidental clashes and build mutual trust [3][4][5].

2024 – The 2018 military agreement is fully suspended amid heightened tensions, including North Korean accusations of South Korean drone incursions, raising the risk of border incidents [4][5].

Nov 28, 2025 – President Lee declares reunification a constitutional duty, warns accidental clashes could occur, cites analysts projecting North Korea’s nuclear stockpile could exceed 400 warheads by 2040, and notes a Lazarus cyber‑attack on the Upbit exchange [14].

Dec 2, 2025 – Lee launches the 22nd Peaceful Unification Advisory Council and proposes reopening the inter‑Korean hotline and other diplomatic contacts dormant since 2018, framing communication as the first step toward peaceful coexistence and cooperation on climate, disaster relief, and public health [12][13].

Dec 2, 2025 – Lee pledges a phased denuclearization agenda, setting a goal to begin formal negotiations within six months and to achieve a formal Korean Peninsula denuclearization agreement by 2030, while reaffirming the U.S. alliance and increasing defense spending by 2 % of GDP [16].

Dec 18, 2025 – Lee urges pre‑emptive, proactive measures to reduce hostilities, noting North Korea’s new triple‑layer barbed‑wire barriers along the Military Demarcation Line—the first such fortifications since the Korean War—and calling for patience and trust‑building [11].

Dec 31, 2025 – Lee declares he will act as a “pacemaker” for potential North Korea‑U.S. talks in 2026, supporting former President Trump’s outreach to Kim Jong‑un and promising to build regional consensus with the United States and China [9][10].

Jan 13, 2026 – Lee announces that South Korea and Japan reaffirm their joint commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, underscoring coordinated security efforts with Tokyo [8].

Jan 21, 2026 – Lee pledges a diplomatic push to restart North Korea‑U.S. talks and to restore the 2018 Sept 19 military agreement, warns North Korea can produce 10‑20 nuclear weapons annually and continue ICBM development, and outlines a three‑stage roadmap (freeze production, arms reduction, full denuclearization) while describing himself as a “pacemaker” for inter‑Korean dialogue [3][4][5].

Jan 22, 2026 – Lee calls for pragmatic peace, proposing a three‑stage denuclearization plan that first freezes North Korea’s nuclear material production, then pursues arms reductions, and finally seeks complete denuclearization, while highlighting the need for sustained U.S. engagement and citing former President Trump as a possible channel for dialogue [2].

Feb 26, 2026 – After North Korea rejects Seoul’s overture as “deceptive,” Lee vows to continue pursuing inter‑Korean normalization, emphasizing sustained communication, trust‑building, and a reflection on past South Korean actions that may have undermined peace, reaffirming the goal of lasting stability on the peninsula [1].