ⓒYONHAP News

President Moon Jae-in has called on Japan to respect the free trade order and pursue joint prosperity with South Korea.

The president delivered his speech at the Independence Hall of Korea on Thursday, marking the 74th anniversary of the nation's liberation from Japanese colonial occupation.

"Within the international division of labor, if any country weaponizes a sector where it has a comparative advantage, the peaceful free trade order will inevitably suffer damages. A country that achieved growth first must not kick the ladder away while others are following in its footsteps."

While addressing Tokyo's recent retaliatory trade sanctions against Seoul, Moon said South Korea and Japan should jointly facilitate peace and prosperity in East Asia.

"Better late than never: if Japan chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, we will gladly join hands. We will strive with Japan to create an East Asia that engages in fair trade and cooperation." 

He stressed that the upcoming Tokyo Summer Olympics next year should serve as an opportunity to solidify the framework of friendship and to progress along the path toward common prosperity.

While marking Korea's liberation from Japan's 35-year long colonization, President Moon also envisioned inter-Korean peace and joint prosperity.

"As we commemorate Liberation Day today, I pledge to solidify denuclearization and the peace regime on the Korean Peninsula during my term in office. I will initiate the peace economy upon this foundation and move toward unification. We will advance dialogue and cooperation so that seeds sown together with North Korea in the spring of peace will grow into trees of prosperity."

Moon pledged to solidify the foundation to host the joint 2032 Seoul-Pyongyang Olympics, and achieve the unification of the two Koreas by 2045, which will mark the 100th anniversary of liberation.