Lee says there is ‘no left or right’ in honoring sacrifice ahead of Liberation Day
At a luncheon with national merit recipients, veterans and the descendants of independence activists, the president hailed the 'strongest roots' of dedication.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a luncheon for people of national merit and their families at the Blue House in central Seoul on Aug. 13.JOINT PRESS CORPS
Sacrifice for the country has no political agenda, President Lee Jae Myung said on Thursday, as he called for Korea’s struggles for independence, national defense and democracy to be remembered as one shared history ahead of Liberation Day, which falls on Saturday.
“The histories of independence, national defense and democracy are not separate histories, but one history that has built the South Korea of today,” Lee said. “We will never stop our efforts to remember and carry them forward together so that the values of honoring those who served the nation can be passed down intact to future generations.”
Lee made the remarks during a luncheon for national merit recipients — people officially recognized by the South Korean government for sacrifices or contributions made for the country — and their families as well as veterans and the descendants of independence activists at the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul. Aug. 15 marks Korea's Liberation Day, when Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule ended.
“Should there really be a divide between the progressives and the conservatives when it comes to honoring the noble dedication of those who risked their lives for their country?” Lee said. “They lived through different eras and endured different sacrifices, but they shared one purpose: to defend South Korea and build a better country.”
Lee also stressed that the country owes its everyday life to those who sacrificed for it.
“That noble dedication became the strongest roots supporting South Korea and a great force that binds us together,” Lee said. “The South Korea we have today and the everyday lives we take for granted today would not exist without those who sacrificed for the country.”
Lee said remembering that sacrifice must come with tangible support.
“Our administration has spent the past year improving the system to provide greater recognition and support for those who sacrificed for the country,” Lee said.
He cited initiatives such as expanding the scope of compensation and eligibility, strengthening medical support and preserving the spirit of national service.
First lady Kim Hea Kyung, left, President Lee Jae Myung, center, pledge allegiance during a luncheon for people of national merit and their families at the Blue House in central Seoul on Aug. 13.YONHAP
The luncheon combined two events that had previously been held separately each year: a June luncheon for national merit recipients, veterans and their families and an August luncheon for independence activists who fought against Japan's colonial rule and their descendants.
Approximately 130 people were invited, with priority given to those who had not attended a Blue House luncheon in the past five years.
The guests included descendants of independence activists who live overseas and national merit recipients.
Some attendees were recognized for their roles in the March 15 Democracy Movement, a 1960 pro-democracy protest against election fraud, and the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement, a pro-democracy protest in Gwangju in 1980 that resulted in hundreds of deaths from a brutal military suppression.
Others included veterans and bereaved families connected to the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong in 2002 and the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan in 2010. Both incidents involved deadly clashes with North Korea in the West Sea.
President Lee Jae Myung, left, awards a commemorative badge to a descendant of an independence activist during a luncheon for people of national merit and their families at the Blue House in central Seoul on Aug. 13.JOINT PRESS CORPS
Families of military personnel, police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty were also invited.
“I learned that honoring those who served the nation is not simply a history of the past, but a value that remains alive in our lives today,” Jo Hyeon-i, the great-granddaughter of independence activist Jo Wi-dae, said. “My utmost responsibility as a young person and a descendant of an activist is to never forget our ancestors’ noble sacrifices.”
“For 15 years, before the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement was properly recognized as a democratization movement, we lived in silence after being branded rioters incited by North Korean spies,” said Ju So-yeon, whose high school diary recording the Democratization Movement became inscribed on Unesco’s Memory of the World Register in 2011. “We should not hide behind the pain. We should make the facts known so that the truth is not distorted.”
BY OH HYUN-SEOK [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
