South Korean President Lee Jae Myung told congregants at a mass in Rome that an “ember” of hope for improving ties with North Korea is still alive, despite the current icy relations with Pyongyang.

Speaking on the eve of the 26th anniversary of the June 15 Joint Declaration, a landmark inter-Korean statement, Lee reaffirmed that his government will not pursue “unification by absorption” and pledged to keep working toward establishing peace on the peninsula.

The June 15declaration between former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il was the first agreement jointly negotiated and signed