Pres. Lee Jae Myung urges peace

[Anchor]

Eighty years ago, we achieved liberation, and this year we have once again safeguarded our democracy.

We have proven that no one can take away the sovereignty of our people.

And now, we are dreaming of a new leap forward.

Today (8.15), the special 9 o'clock news will take a comprehensive look at the meaning of liberation as we move towards the next 100 years.

First, President Lee Jae Myung stated in his congratulatory speech that we must work together to ensure that the light found through liberation never goes out.

He emphasized peace.

He announced that he will pursue a phased restoration of the Sept. 19 inter-Korean military agreement and expressed his hope for a response from the North.

The first report is by Bang Jun-won.

[Report]

President Lee Jae Myung attended the 80th Liberation Day ceremony.

He expressed his commitment to continue pursuing reconciliation policies to improve inter-Korean relations.

He mentioned the measures taken since his inauguration, such as halting leaflet distribution and loudspeaker broadcasts to the North, stating, "Trust is built through actions, not words."

[President Lee Jae Myung: "We will consistently take measures for substantial tension reduction and trust restoration. The South and the North are not enemies."]

He likened the current inter-Korean relationship to a 'tangled thread' and emphasized his patience in waiting for the North to respond to the restoration of severed dialogue.

[President Lee Jae Myung: "We respect the current regime in the North and will not pursue any form of absorption unification, nor do we intend to engage in any hostile acts."]

He stated that the Sept. 19 military agreement would be proactively and gradually restored to prevent accidental clashes and build military trust between the two Koreas.

No new North Korea policy was announced in this congratulatory speech.

It is interpreted as focusing on emphasizing the sincerity of restoring trust rather than presenting new proposals in the absence of a response from North Korea.

President Lee mentioned the issue of denuclearization while expressing his willingness to improve inter-Korean relations.

[President Lee Jae Myung: "A peaceful Korean Peninsula is a 'nuclear-free Korean Peninsula' and is based on friendly cooperation with neighboring countries."]

While emphasizing the restoration of relations with North Korea, he is also seen as showing his commitment to creating a peace regime on the Korean Peninsula in line with the international community.

This is KBS News, Bang Jun-won.