ISTANBUL 

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Friday held a symbolic “People’s Mandate Ceremony” marking the country’s 80th Liberation Day, reinforcing his popular legitimacy after taking office in June without a formal inauguration.

The event at Gwanghwamun Square in downtown Seoul saw Lee receive letters of appointment from 80 selected individuals, including prominent figures in democracy, economic growth, science and technology, culture, sports, and ordinary citizens, according to a statement on Lee's account on US social media company Facebook.

Lee was elected president on June 3 in a snap election triggered by the ouster of former President Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed Dec. 3 martial law decree.

“On this 80th Liberation Day - a day when we have reclaimed the light of sovereignty once taken from us - I stand here with boundless pride and an equally deep sense of responsibility, receiving the people's mandate filled with the people's earnest wishes,” Lee said during the ceremony.

“Each dream shines in its own way toward the future, but our shared goal is unmistakable: to build a better nation and to open an era where the people live in happiness, filled with hope and possibility,” he added.

The ceremony came as Lee begins his presidency with pledges to address national security, economic challenges, and public trust, while seeking to revive inter-Korean dialogue and advance diplomacy with Japan.

Liberation Day marks Japan's defeat in World War II and the end of its 35 years of colonial rule in the Korean Peninsula, a holiday also celebrated in North Korea.