President Moon: "Door Wide Open for Consultation with Japan... Joint Efforts for 'Respecting Human Rights'" (Comprehensive)

The 75th Anniversary Liberation Day Celebration Ceremony

President Moon Jae-in is delivering a congratulatory speech at the 75th Liberation Day celebration held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on the morning of the 15th. August 15, 2020. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] On August 15, marking Liberation Day, President Moon Jae-in addressed the issue of forced labor under Japanese colonial rule, stating, "We respect the judiciary's rulings and have been consulting with the Japanese government to find an amicable solution acceptable to the victims. We continue to keep the door to dialogue wide open," adding, "We will work together with Japan to uphold democracy based on the separation of powers, universal human values, and the principles of international law."

President Moon attended the '75th Liberation Day Celebration' held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul that morning and said in his congratulatory speech, "I believe that Japan and Korea, both respecting individual human rights, and our joint efforts will become a bridge of friendship and future cooperation between our peoples." He emphasized resolving issues through dialogue, stating, "Our government is always ready to sit down face-to-face with the Japanese government."

At the same time, President Moon reaffirmed the existing stance regarding the Supreme Court ruling that the 'right to claim compensation for illegal acts' raised by forced labor victims has not expired, saying, "It holds the highest legal authority and enforceability within the territory of the Republic of Korea." However, he appeared to emphasize persuasion toward Japan by stressing that this issue is not a 'state versus state' conflict but an effort to respect the human rights of forced labor victims from the Japanese colonial era.

This marks a somewhat different tone compared to last year's Liberation Day speech, where he urged Japan to "reflect on the past that brought misfortune to its neighboring country" and emphasized a "new nation that no one can shake."

Among the four forced labor victims who filed a damages lawsuit against Japanese companies in 2005, three have already passed away. President Moon said, "The sole surviving elder, Lee Chun-sik, said last year when Japan's export restrictions began, 'I wonder if Korea is suffering losses because of me,'" adding, "We will confirm that protecting the dignity of an individual is never a loss to the country."

President Moon Jae-in is greeting Park Myung-soon, the spouse of the late independence activist Choi Sa-jin, after awarding her the Presidential Citation at the 75th Liberation Day Celebration held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on the morning of the 15th. 2020.8.15 [Photo by Yonhap News]

In his speech, President Moon referred to independence activist Kim Gu, who appealed for 'national unity,' saying, "Kim Gu's dream to complete the unfinished liberation caused by division with a 'unified Korean Peninsula' is a task for all those left behind," delivering a message toward North Korea.

He said, "True liberation is ensuring that each person's dreams and lives are guaranteed in a peaceful and safe 'unified Korean Peninsula,'" and added, "Our pursuit of peace and promotion of cooperation between South and North are for the safety and well-being of the people on both sides."

He continued, "Having faced livestock epidemics, COVID-19, and unprecedented heavy rains caused by abnormal weather, we have realized that individual health and safety are closely connected to one another," emphasizing, "We repeatedly confirm that South and North are a community of life and safety."

Regarding security issues, he stressed, "Inter-Korean cooperation is the best security policy for both South and North to move away from reliance on nuclear weapons or military power," and reiterated, "The stronger the cooperation between South and North, the stronger each side's security becomes, which will be a force leading to prosperity through cooperation with the international community."

President Moon further stated, "Along with humanitarian cooperation for the lives and safety of our people, practical inter-Korean cooperation means enabling people to meet those they want to see before they die and visit places they want to go," and said, "The railway connection, for which joint investigations and groundbreaking ceremonies have already been conducted, is a key driver to expand future inter-Korean cooperation to the continent."

He also vowed, "As agreed in the Panmunjom Declaration, we will permanently eliminate the threat of war and lay the foundation for true liberation dreamed of by our ancestors," and affirmed, "We will review and implement each agreed item between South and North and move toward a 'peaceful and jointly prosperous Korean Peninsula.'"

Alongside external messages, one of the key themes of this Liberation Day speech was 'individual dignity.' The DDP, where the event was held, was once the site of the Joseon Dynasty's Training Command and Training Institute, later becoming Kyungsung Stadium during the Japanese colonial period and Seoul Stadium after liberation. Son Ki-jeong, who set a world record and won the marathon at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, also competed there.

President Moon said, "The sweat shed by 'young Son Ki-jeong' of colonial Joseon will be remembered as the most passionate and poignant sweat," adding, "It was a great victory that restored the nation's pride, but there was no country to dedicate the glory of victory to." He continued, "Our independence movement was a process of regaining the country while establishing the dignity of each individual," and said, "There was a time when the state demanded individual sacrifice and suppressed human rights, but we never stopped moving toward a 'nation worthy of the name' where freedom, equality, dignity, and safety are the natural rights of every citizen."

President Moon mentioned the word 'individual' 15 times in his speech and said, "On this 75th Liberation Day, we reflect on whether liberation has truly been achieved for each person, and we think about a country that exists not for the nation but to guarantee the humane life of individuals." He emphasized, "Our government's goal is to realize the 'Era of Article 10 of the Constitution,' where all citizens have the right to dignity, value, and the pursuit of happiness as human beings."

This year, a total of 351 independence patriots received government awards on Liberation Day. President Moon personally presented the Order of Merit for National Foundation and Presidential Citations to five individuals, including the late Kim Jwa-mok, during the ceremony. The event concluded with three cheers of "Manse" (long live) by President Moon and attendees, followed by the singing of the Liberation Day anthem.

President Moon Jae-in is performing the three cheers for victory with attendees at the 75th Liberation Day celebration held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul on the morning of the 15th. August 15, 2020. Photo by Yonhap News