South Korea's (ROK) President Lee Jae Myung said on Friday, August 15, that his nation vowed to respect the DPRK's political system and work toward building a "military trust".

Lee said he has reached out to Pyongyang in an attempt to begin dialogue without preconditions, a shift from the more outwardly hawkish policies of his ousted predecessor, Yoon Suk Yeol. 

Lee said during an event celebrating the anniversary of liberation from Japanese rule that his government "will take consistent measures to substantially reduce tensions and restore trust" with Pyongyang. 

"We affirm our respect for the North's current system," Lee further stated, adding that Seoul had "no intention of engaging in hostile acts [...] I hope that North Korea will reciprocate our efforts to restore trust and revive dialogue."

According to Seoul's National Institute for Unification Education, the August 15 anniversary of liberation from Japan is the only public holiday celebrated by both Korean states.

Meanwhile, the DPRK reportedly said it had no interest in normalizing relations with its southern neighbor. 

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DPRK response to improving relations

Lee's statements came a day after the statement of Vice-Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, Kim Yo Jong, in which she discussed the media claims that the DPRK is seeking to forward a message to Washington during the joint Russia-US summit. 

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"Media of the ROK made a supposition on August 12 that thoughts of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea may be conveyed to the US side at the Russia-US summit meeting to be held soon," Yo said. "This is a typical proof that the ROK is having a false dream."

Kim added that South Korean media are"spreading false suppositions. We have nothing to do with the United States."

She highlighted that Seoul's discussions about improving relations with Pyongyang are nothing but "empty promises", highlighting the continued US-South Korea military as proof of the South's hostilities.

"The US-ROK joint military drills to be started on August 18 will undoubtedly bring the light to the hostile nature of the Republic of Korea again," Yo stated.

She added, "We have clarified on several occasions that we have no will to improve relations with the Republic of Korea, a faithful servant and ally of the United States, and this conclusive stand and viewpoint will be fixed in our constitution in the future."

Kim noted that the ROK is being deceptive with its talks of improving relations, saying, "although a filthy thing is wrapped with a wedding veil, it will emit a stench. And no matter how hard they pretend to be righteous and they beautify and justify their actions, they can never cover up the hostile intention."

She also denied the removal of loudspeakers along the borders, saying that Pyongyang is "not willing to remove them."

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Upcoming US-ROK military drills

Seoul and Washington are set to conduct a joint military drill on August 18, which is claimed to be developed based on a detailed analysis of recent global conflicts in order to ensure realistic training. The drills are set to cover all domains of combined and joint operations, simulating near-real combat conditions.

The DPRK has repeatedly condemned the joint drills as hostile, with Defense Minister No Kwang-chol condemning them as a simulated nuclear war and direct provocation.

"The Ulji Freedom Shield to be staged under the simulated conditions of a real nuclear war is not only a direct military provocation against the DPRK, but also a real threat to amplify the unpredictability of the situation on the Korean Peninsula," No Kwang-chol said in a statement published by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA).

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