South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned on Monday (Nov 24) that tensions between North and South Korea are “very dangerous,” with the risk of an accidental clash looming, and stressed the importance of dialogue with Pyongyang, Yonhap News reported. Lee noted that North Korea has ignored Seoul’s attempts at communication and is installing barbed wire along the military border—a move not seen since the 1950–53 Korean War. “Inter-Korean relations have become highly hostile and confrontational, and with no basic trust, the North is acting in extreme ways,” he said, according to Yonhap.

Speaking to reporters during a flight from South Africa, where he attended the G20 summit, to Turkey, Lee highlighted that South Korea had proposed military talks on November 17 to establish a clear boundary along the Military Demarcation Line to prevent armed clashes that could escalate into a larger conflict. North Korea has yet to respond.

This year, North Korean soldiers have crossed the border more than 10 times, sometimes prompting South Korean forces to fire warning shots. Lee emphasized that achieving lasting peace with North Korea will be a long-term process. Once a stable peace regime is in place, he suggested it might be preferable for South Korea and the US to halt joint military exercises, which Pyongyang has condemned as rehearsals for nuclear war. Currently, about 28,500 US troops and associated weapons systems are stationed in South Korea.