The ruling Democratic Party(DP) presidential candidate pledged to uphold the Moon Jae-in administration's North Korea policies, as his main opposition People Power Party(PPP) rival said the enforcement of inter-Korean agreements would depend on Pyongyang's attitude.

In an interview with a journal published by the Korean-American Club, DP candidate Lee Jae-myung said the two Koreas and the U.S. must fulfill agreements made in Panmunjeom, Singapore and Pyongyang to restore trust and regain dialogue momentum.

Lee pledged to advance the peace process towards economic development to establish a peace economy system on the Korean Peninsula and a peace economic community across Northeast Asia.

PPP candidate Yoon Suk Yeol, on the other hand, assessed that the 2018 Panmunjeom Declaration between the leaders of the two Koreas was seriously damaged following the North's demolition of a liaison office in 2020.

Yoon said he will decide how to uphold past agreements in line with the North's attitude, the situation on the peninsula and public consensus, stressing that denuclearization must be the task of priority in any form of dialogue with Pyongyang.

The candidates also differed on the administration's push to declare a formal end to the Korean War, with Lee saying Seoul must take the lead, in contrast to Yoon, who said the declaration will negatively impact the UN Command and the alliance with the U.S.