Yoon: "The March 1st Movement is only complete with unification that enjoys freedom and prosperity"

105th Anniversary of the March 1st Movement
Yoon: "Unification Efforts Must Become Hope and a Beacon for North Korean Residents"

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 1st, "The March 1st Movement is only complete when it leads to a unified Korea where everyone enjoys freedom and prosperity." This signifies his commitment to not compromising with the North Korean regime, which commits provocations, tyranny, and human rights abuses, and to striving for the expansion of universal values such as freedom and human rights for the North Korean people.

At the 105th anniversary March 1st Movement commemoration ceremony held at the Yu Gwan-sun Memorial Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul, President Yoon said, "Now, we must move toward a free and unified Korean Peninsula where all citizens are the owners."

Addressing the North Korean regime, President Yoon criticized, "It still maintains a totalitarian system and oppressive rule, unable to escape the worst regression and poverty. The North Korean regime relies solely on nuclear weapons and missiles, trapping 26 million North Korean people in a swamp of misery and despair." He added, "Recently, it designated our Republic of Korea as its primary hostile country and eternal adversary. This is truly deplorable."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Regarding the direction of unification, he stated, "The North Korean regime's tyranny and human rights violations deny universal human values," and defined, "Unification is the expansion of universal values such as freedom and human rights."

He continued, "Our unification efforts must become hope and a beacon for the North Korean people," promising, "The government will not withdraw its helping hand toward North Korean residents, nor will it cease efforts to improve North Korean human rights." As part of this, the government has designated July 14th as 'Day of North Korean Defectors' starting this year.

President Yoon also said, "Unification is a difficult task that we cannot achieve alone. The international community must join forces with a responsible attitude," adding, "A free and unified Republic of Korea will contribute to peace and prosperity not only in Northeast Asia but also in the Indo-Pacific region and the world. As the President of the Republic of Korea, I will do my utmost to fulfill this historic and constitutional duty."