North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, said South Korea and its President Lee Jae Myung had a "dual personality" by talking about wanting to pursue peace while continuing joint military drills with the U.

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.

Pyongyang regularly criticizes such drills as rehearsals for invasion and sometimes responds with weapons tests, but Seoul and Washington say they are purely defensive.