South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to "respect" North Korea's political system and said Seoul would not seek unilateral reunification in a speech to mark Liberation Day.

In a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee said he will seek to restore the so-called September 19 Military Agreement, which was signed at an inter-Korean summit in 2018 and was designed to de-escalate tension along their shared border.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung marked Liberation Day by pledging to respect North Korea’s system and build “military trust,” in a sharp policy shift from his predecessor.