Liberation from colonial rule celebrated

Both the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea have marked the 80th anniversary of the Korean Peninsula's liberation from Japan's colonial rule, with the ROK leader pledging to reduce bilateral tensions.

In a speech at a celebration event held at the Arch of Triumph Plaza in Pyongyang on Thursday, DPRK's top leader, Kim Jong-un, emphasized the DPRK's resistance against Japanese imperialism and the bloodshed endured to gain independence, and called for steadily and undauntedly overcoming the challenges facing the DPRK.

On Friday, ROK President Lee Jaemyung, in a speech marking the country's Liberation Day, said the ROK will take consistent measures to reduce tensions with the DPRK and restore the Sept 19 military agreement between the two sides to lower military tensions at the border.