President Lee Jae-myung stated on October 4, "We must return to the spirit of the 'October 4 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration' and break the cycle of hostility and confrontation to create a virtuous cycle of peace and prosperity."
In a written address for the 19th anniversary of the 'October 4 Inter-Korean Summit Declaration,' President Lee remarked, "As promises for peace and prosperity have not been kept, hostility and confrontation have filled the void."
He referenced former President Roh Moo-hyun's visit to North Korea on October 2, 2007, noting that the phrase left at the last checkpoint to the North, "The path to peace, the path to prosperity," most clearly reflects the meaning of the October 4 declaration.
President Lee emphasized, "If the June 15 Joint Declaration opened a new era of peace, the October 4 declaration was a promise between the leaders of the North and South to solidify that peace."
He described the October 4 declaration as a historic agreement aimed at transforming inter-Korean relations into one of mutual respect and trust, ending military hostility, and working together to establish a permanent peace regime beyond the armistice system.
Expressing regret over the return of inter-Korean relations to a state of hostility and confrontation, President Lee stated, "Hostility and confrontation lead to material and human losses and become obstacles to the economy, even being misused as a justification to threaten democracy."
He quoted former President Roh's remark that "what can be gained through reciprocity is only the repetition of crises and confrontations," urging reflection on this point.
President Lee explained that his recent proposal for peace on the Korean Peninsula also inherits the spirit of the October 4 declaration.
He stated, "Recently, I presented three visions of 'inclusive peaceful coexistence' that respects each other, 'stable peaceful coexistence' that eliminates the need for conflict, and 'responsible peaceful coexistence' that contributes to world peace," adding that these are a rearticulation of the peace and prosperity vision embodied in the October 4 declaration.
While acknowledging that the journey to resolve issues on the Korean Peninsula and solidify peace will not be easy, he affirmed, "It is clear that this is the path we must take."
He urged everyone to work together to ensure that the belief and will of former President Roh for peace and prosperity on the Korean Peninsula can take root in this land.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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