Lee pledges to take steps for permanent peace on Korean Peninsula

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting at the presidential office in Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung said Friday that he will continue to take steps to establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula through efforts for dialogue and cooperation with North Korea.

Lee made the remarks in a Facebook posting to mark the seventh anniversary of an inter-Korean military agreement that halted hostile acts along the border at that time.

"The government will fulfill its responsibility step by step, together with the people, to restore the spirit of the Sept. 19 military agreement and establish permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation," Lee wrote.

Lee reaffirmed his commitment to peace after years of confrontation that have effectively nullified the military accord aimed at reducing tensions, stressing his administration has taken practical steps since taking office in June.

"Peace is the basic foundation for democracy and economic development," he wrote, explaining that this is why he ordered the halt of loudspeakers along the border and the flying of propaganda leaflets toward the North.

He reiterated the three principles outlined in his Liberation Speech last month, though Pyongyang has dismissed his peace overtures.

"I pledged to respect the North Korean system, not to pursue unification by absorption and have no intention of carrying out hostile acts, and the pledge remains valid," he noted.

Lee said the government will work to protect border-area residents from sleepless nights caused by military tensions, economic risks from military confrontation, and threats to democracy posed by "forces that exploit the divided peninsula."