Since taking office in June, a dovish Lee has sought to mend ties with the nuclear-armed North, which reaffirmed its anti-Seoul approach during a party meeting last week.

“As my administration has repeatedly made clear, we respect the North’s system and will neither engage in any type of hostile acts nor pursue any form of unification by absorption,” Lee said in a speech marking the anniversary of a historical campaign against Japan’s colonial rule.

“We will also continue our efforts to resume dialogue with the North,” he said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un last week dashed hopes of a diplomatic thaw with Seoul, describing its overtures as a “clumsy, deceptive farce and a poor work”.

Speaking at the party congress in Pyongyang, Kim said North Korea has “absolutely no business dealing with South Korea, its most hostile entity, and will permanently exclude South Korea from the category of compatriots”.

But he also said the North could “get along well” with the United States if Washington acknowledges its nuclear status.

Speculation has mounted over whether US President Donald Trump will seek a meeting with Kim during planned travels to China.

Last year, Trump said he was “100%” open to a meeting.

Previous Trump-Kim summits during the US president’s first term fell apart after the pair failed to agree over sanctions relief – and what nuclear concessions North Korea might make in return.