South Korean President Lee Jae Myung pledged to "respect" North Korea's political system and said Seoul would not seek unilateral reunification in a speech to mark Liberation Day.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who has been seeking to improve strained relations with Pyongyang, ordered his cabinet to prepare a partial step-by-step implementation of existing agreements with North Korea.

In a speech to mark the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, Lee said he would restore the so-called September 19 Comprehensive Military Agreement, a de-escalation measure that halted some military activities at the border between North Korea and South Korea.