President Lee Jae-myung said on the 15th, marking the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day, "I clearly state that I respect the current North Korean regime and will not pursue any form of absorption unification, nor do I intend to engage in any hostile actions."
On this day, President Lee delivered a congratulatory speech at the 80th anniversary Liberation Day ceremony held at the Sejong Center in Seoul, stating, 'The South and North are not enemies. They respect and acknowledge each other's regimes while maintaining a special relationship aimed at peaceful unification.'
President Lee stated, 'The ongoing confrontation between the South and North due to the division threatens our lives, restricts economic development, and poses a serious obstacle to the country's future,' adding, 'It is time to move beyond outdated Cold War thinking and confrontations and open a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula.'
He continued, 'Peace is the foundation of a secure daily life, the basis of democracy, and a prerequisite for economic development,' and emphasized, 'The dialogue between the South and North, which continued despite numerous ups and downs, was cut off throughout the last administration. The more tangled the thread, the more patience we must have as we slowly untangle it.'