President Lee Jae Myung said Friday he would work to achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula and restore the now-scrapped inter-Korean military agreement on the seventh anniversary of its signing.

"I will take gradual steps and take on the government's duty, as the president together with the people, to revive the spirit of the inter-Korean military pact signed on Sept. 19, 2018," the liberal president said on his Facebook page on Friday.

Lee also said restoring the pact to halt any hostile military actions between the two Koreas will "allow peace on the Korean Peninsula to permanently take hold."

Lee's remarks reaffirmed promises made on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Korean Peninsula from Japanese colonial rule. There, he pledged to build trust with North Korea, respect North Korea's system, and not to absorb North Korea. This was in line with the liberal government's efforts to reduce border tensions by removing propaganda loudspeakers and encouraging US President Donald Trump to play the role of a "peacemaker" on the Korean Peninsula through talks with the North's leader, Kim Jong-un.

Restoring the inter-Korean pact signed between ex-liberal President Moon Jae-in and Kim Jong-un, and easing inter-Korean tension are part of the Lee administration's five-year policy blueprint confirmed Tuesday.

In a speech revealed Thursday, ahead of the event celebrating the pact's 7th anniversary held in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, former President Moon called for the pact to be restored, stressing that de-escalation and trust between the two Koreas is the "prerequisite for any peace process."

Lee, also in his Facebook post, pledged not to "put South Korea's democracy in jeopardy by the will of the forces," which exploited hostility between the two Koreas.

Though Lee did not elaborate, this appeared to reference the former conservative President Yoon Suk Yeol, whose administration suspended the inter-Korean pact in 2024 in line with the North's move in 2023.

The special counsel looking into Yoon's insurrection charges suspects that Yoon may have authorized a covert operation to send drones to Pyongyang to increase inter-Korean tensions and justify his declaration of martial law in December. Yoon's short-lived imposition of martial law led to his removal from office in April.

Lee also stressed the need to steer clear of economic risks due to the persisting inter-Korean military confrontation, as well as the anxiety of South Korean residents living close to the border with North Korea.

Lee pledges steps to revive inter-Korean military pact on its 7th anniversary