Second Deputy National Security Director Lim Woong-soon (left) reads President Lee Jae Myung’s congratulatory message at the annual commemoration event for North Korean defectors in Goyang on July 14, 2026. | Image: Ministry of Unification, edited by NK News

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung vowed Tuesday to work toward a future where both Koreas can prosper in a speech marking the third annual Ministry of Unification ceremony recognizing North Korean-born citizens now living in the South.

“I will do my utmost to establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and open a future of coexistence and cooperation beyond conflict and confrontation,” he said in a speech read by second deputy national security director Lim Woong-soon at the Korea International Exhibition Center.

“The experience of building mutual understanding and trust in a new community will lay the foundation for