President Lee urges to implement existing inter-Korean agreement in phases

And President Lee Jae Myung has reaffirmed his administration's commitment to its people amid the start of defense drills this week also asserting that true security on the peninsula lies in promoting peace.

Arirang's Yoon Jung-min reports from the Presidential Office.

The state's top priority is to protect the lives and safety of the people.

That's according to President Lee Jae Myung as he presided over a Cabinet meeting on the first day of the nationwide Ulchi exercise.

"We need an integrated security capability against a complex crisis. Through the Ulchi exercise, I hope we closely examine our security posture and further develop our nation's overall crisis management capabilities."

The four-day Ulchi civil defense drills, involving more than 580-thousand people at some 4-thousand public institutions, are designed to reinforce government readiness and run parallel to the South Korea-U.S. joint military exercises.

This year's focus is on fending off new security threats, including drone and cyberattacks.

At the same time, South Korea's Commander-in-Chief noted true security lies in safeguarding peace.

"If small actions pile up like pebbles, mutual trust will be restored. This will broaden the path to peace and lay the foundation where the South and the North can grow together."

For that, he instructed relevant ministries to prepare implementing existing inter-Korean agreements in phases, first starting with those possible to carry out.

A reconciliatory message was evident in Lee's Liberation Day speech last Friday, where he vowed to gradually restore the 2018 military agreement.

"The Ulchi exercise is designed to protect our people's lives and safety. It is defensive in nature and has no intention of attacking North Korea or raising tensions on the Korean Peninsula."

On top of that, noting the popularity of the Netflix hit animation "KPop Demon Hunters," the President asked for comprehensive measures to support K-content going global, calling the power of culture a "new driving force" for national strength.

Approved on Monday were more than a dozen bills, some of which were vetoed by Lee's predecessor, including the DP-led broadcasting bill revision aimed at changing the governance structures at public broadcasters and a grain bill that mandates government intervention on rice prices.

Also on the discussion table was utilizing social media for government advertisements in the digital era, and the President mentioned the need to hold accountable any media that spreads disinformation.

Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.