Overview

• President Lee Jae Myung directed relevant ministries to prepare step-by-step action plans for existing inter-Korean agreements, beginning with measures deemed most immediately feasible.
• He stressed that tension-easing initiatives must coincide with an ironclad defense posture and ordered four-day civil-defense drills to be “effective and practical.”
• The civil-defense exercise is running alongside the 11-day Ulchi Freedom Shield drills with U.S. forces to reinforce South Korea’s readiness.
• North Korean officials have publicly dismissed Seoul’s outreach, making any full implementation of pacts contingent on reciprocal engagement from Pyongyang.
• Lee also tasked ministries with expanding K-culture infrastructure and global content strategies, citing the Netflix animation “Kpop Demon Hunters” as a model for soft-power growth.