President Lee Jae Myung marked the seventh anniversary of the September 19 Seoul-Pyongyang Joint Declaration and the September 19 Inter-Korean Military Agreement on Friday by pledging to restore the spirit of the treaties and pursue lasting peace through dialogue and cooperation.

Lee said in a social media post Friday that though the North and the South had pledged to work towards peace and prosperity seven years prior, inter-Korean trust and dialogue have since collapsed.

The president warned that a lack of peace puts democracy and economic stability at risk, citing this fact as the reason he'd halted the South's propaganda broadcasts and leaflet launches toward the North since taking office.

He reaffirmed his earlier promise to respect the North Korean regime, refrain from pursuing unification through absorption and avoid hostile acts.

Lee stressed that rebuilding trust requires patience, vowing to prevent those residing near the border from living in fear and to shield democracy from forces aiming to exploit division.