President Lee Jae Myung (C) receives a letter of appointment from trauma surgeon Lee Cook-jong (L) during a ceremony held at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul on Aug. 15, 2025, accompanied by first lady Kim Hea Kyung. (Yonhap)

In his Liberation Day address on 15 August, marking 80 years since the end of Japanese colonial rule, Mr Lee said many South Koreans “still bear the pain of past injustices,” and stressed that unresolved historical grievances continue to hinder bilateral ties.

David Maxwell urges U.S. President Donald Trump not to be swayed by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's stance on "respect" for North Korea's political system.

President Lee Jae Myung emphasized future cooperation with Japan in his Liberation Day address, avoiding sensitive historic disputes while advocating for a pragmatic relationship ahead of the upcoming summit.

President Lee Jae Myung (left) and first lady Kim Hea Kyung on Aug. 15 hold a certificate of appointment they received from 80 leading public figures at the "people's appointment ceremony" under the theme "80 Years of Liberation, Building the Future with National Sovereignty" at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. (Office of the President)

President Lee Jae Myung will outline his vision for North Korea and unification policy, while calling for future-oriented cooperation between Seoul and Tokyo in

SEOUL, Aug. 18 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Monday called for taking steps where necessary to implement existing inter-Korean agreements, days after he reaffirmed his pledge to restore ties and trust with North Korea, including reviving the 2018 military tension reduction pact.

On Aug. 15, marking the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule, President Lee Jae-myung signaled a forward-looking approach to Seoul-Tokyo relations while reaffirming the importance of historical reckoning.

Kim Han-soo (right), director general for protocol and state council at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, on Aug. 13 gives a briefing at Government Complex-Seoul in Seoul's Jongno-gu District on the Aug.

President Lee Jae Myung said his administration has no plans of absorbing North Korea, signaling intent to restore a 2018 inter-Korean military pact, de-escalate border tensions in his first Liberation Day address on Friday.