Bangladesh, Aug. 16 -- The Korean Peninsula has lived for more than seven decades under the shadow of a war that never formally ended. The guns fell silent in 1953, but the Korean War concluded with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Since then, an uneasy military confrontation has persisted, periodically interrupted by diplomatic openings, escalating rhetoric, missile tests and renewed threats of conflict.

Against this long and troubled history, South Korean President Lee Jae Myungs August 15 proposal for direct dialogue with North Korea deserves serious attention. His call to formally end the Korean War and discuss measures to restrain the advancement of North Koreas nuclear capabilities represents a significant attempt to shift ...