President Lee Jae Myung (left) speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung (left) speaks during a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, Tuesday. (Yonhap)

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday voiced hope for opening the door to dialogue with North Korea, after South Korea's military said the North has begun dismantling some of its own propaganda loudspeakers on the inter-Korean border.

"We have been recently dismantling our loudspeakers along the border and I understand the North has also removed some of its loudspeakers, though I am not certain if it is complete," Lee told a Cabinet meeting.

"I hope such reciprocal measures will gradually lead to dialogue and communication" between the two Koreas, Lee said, according to the presidential office.

Lee said inter-Korean ties will "shift from a relationship that causes harm to each other to one that is mutually beneficial," although Pyongyang has shown little sign of resuming talks with Seoul.

In response to Pyongyang's repeated launch of trash-carrying balloons across the heavily fortified border, Seoul resumed the loudspeaker campaign for the first time in six years in June last year after conducting it on an on-and-off basis following North Korea's fourth nuclear test in 2016.

After taking office in June, Lee ordered the suspension of loudspeaker broadcasts as part of efforts to mend strained ties with Pyongyang. In less than two months, South Korea's military dismantled about 20 fixed speakers installed in the front-line areas.

Late last week, the military said North Korea has also begun dismantling some of its loudspeakers along the border.

During the Cabinet meeting, Lee also reiterated his criticism of repeated fatal industrial accidents, calling them "murder by willful negligence" or "social homicide."

"We should regularly inspect workplaces and take strict measures if the necessary safety measures are not in place," Lee said, urging authorities to take the most stringent action possible within the law.

Lee has repeatedly called for stronger safety measures and tougher punishment for violators during his first two months in office to root out recurring fatal industrial accidents. (Yonhap)