Proclamation of the '8·15 Unification Doctrine' in Liberation Day Speech
Proposal to Establish a Working-Level 'Dialogue Consultative Body' Between South and North Authorities
"North Korean Residents Will Become Strong Allies for Free Unification"
"This Year Marks a New Beginning for a 'Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Unified Korea'"
First Ever 'Half-Scale' Event... Liberation Association and Opposition Parties Absent
President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a congratulatory speech and announces the '8.15 Unification Doctrine' at the 79th Liberation Day Celebration held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 15th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 15th, "We face a crucial historical task that must be resolved," adding, "That is unification." He also proposed the establishment of a working-level 'dialogue consultative body' between the South and North Korean authorities, saying, "It can address any issues, including tension reduction, economic cooperation, human exchanges, cultural exchanges, and responses to disasters and climate change."
In his congratulatory speech at the 79th Liberation Day ceremony held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, President Yoon said, "Complete liberation will only be realized on the day when a free democratic unified state, where the people are the masters, is established throughout the Korean Peninsula."
President Yoon said, "Since the loss of our national sovereignty until today, our people have written a truly great history," emphasizing, "The value that runs through this great journey is freedom." He added, "Our liberation was the fruit of the struggle for freedom," and stressed, "Even in the bleak situation of losing national sovereignty, our people did not give up."
He continued, "Now, South Korea has leapt beyond dazzling economic growth to become a global pivotal country and a global cultural powerhouse," and asserted, "Neither imperialist forces' national sovereignty invasion, division, war, nor anything else could stop our vigorous advance toward freedom."
In particular, he stated, "Complete liberation remains an unfinished task for us," emphasizing that unification is a crucial historical task that must be resolved.
"Free Democratic Unified State Across the Korean Peninsula, Realization of Liberation"
President Yoon said, "In 1919, our people began efforts to establish a free democratic state where the people are the masters on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "Although liberation came with Japan's defeat in 1945, as long as the division system persists, our liberation will inevitably remain incomplete." He continued, "The frozen kingdom deprived of freedom and the northern land suffering from poverty and hunger must see the expansion of the freedom we enjoy," emphasizing, "Only on the day when a free democratic unified state, where the people are the masters, is established throughout the Korean Peninsula will complete liberation be realized."
President Yoon said, "Based on the constitutional duty of free democracy and peaceful unification assigned to the president, I intend to declare our unification vision and unification promotion strategy to our people, North Korean residents, and the international community," adding, "The future of the unified Republic of Korea we dream of is clear."
Presented 3 Major Visions, 3 Major Promotion Strategies, and 7 Major Promotion Plans for Unification
On this day, President Yoon presented three major unification visions, three major unification promotion strategies, and seven major unification promotion plans.
He explained the three major unification visions as "▲ A happy country where the people's freedom and safety are guaranteed ▲ A strong and prosperous country leaping forward through creativity and innovation ▲ A country leading harmony and development in the international community and contributing to world peace and prosperity. This is the future of the unified Republic of Korea."
As the three major promotion strategies to advance toward a unified Republic of Korea, he cited ▲ The people must firmly hold the values and capabilities to pursue free unification ▲ Create changes so that North Korean residents earnestly desire free unification ▲ Cooperate with the international community.
The seven major unification promotion plans include ▲ Activating unification programs ▲ Conducting multidimensional efforts to improve North Korean human rights ▲ Expanding North Korean residents' 'right to access information' ▲ Promoting humanitarian aid to guarantee the survival rights of North Korean residents ▲ Reflecting the role of North Korean defectors in unification capabilities ▲ Proposing the establishment of a 'dialogue consultative body' between South and North Korean authorities ▲ Creating an 'International Korean Peninsula Forum' to garner international support for free unification.
President Yoon urged, "We ourselves must have a stronger conviction in the value of freedom," adding, "Only by firmly protecting the freedom within us can we become the unification promotion force leading free democratic unification."
President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a congratulatory speech and announces the '8.15 Unification Doctrine' at the 79th Liberation Day Celebration held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 15th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
In particular, President Yoon emphasized that licentiousness and irresponsibility that disregard order and norms should not be confused with freedom. He pointed out, "False propaganda and pseudo-logic based on fake news are terrifying weapons that disrupt free society," adding, "Fake news has now become a large-scale industry."
"Pseudo-intellectuals package fake news as products and distribute them, forming vested interest groups," he criticized, saying, "Pseudo-intellectuals and agitators fail to present the values and visions we should truly pursue." He added, "They only obsess over dividing the people through agitation and fabrication to reap benefits from the gaps," calling them "the anti-freedom and anti-unification forces blocking our future."
President Yoon promised, "Freedom is something earned through struggle. It is never obtained automatically," and said, "My administration and I will make every effort to uphold the value of freedom in our society."
Yoon: "Accelerate Reforms in Education, Labor, Pension, and Healthcare"
President Yoon emphasized, "Under a market economy led by the private sector, we will do our best so that companies can freely operate and create many quality jobs, allowing people to enjoy more opportunities for employment and economic activities," adding, "We will accelerate reforms in education, labor, pension, and healthcare to make our society fairer and healthier."
He also said, "We will expand customized welfare to support the vulnerable and warmly care for the lives of all citizens to protect and expand everyone's freedom," adding, "Through this, we will deepen the roots of the value of freedom in our society and protect our people from false agitation by dark forces."
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are applauding while watching a performance at the 79th Liberation Day Celebration held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 15th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon stated, "Our people must be strongly armed with the value of freedom and a sense of responsibility to lead free unification on the Korean Peninsula," adding, "We will provide a future-oriented 'advanced field-oriented unification education program' so that youth and future generations can have expectations and dreams for free unification."
He emphasized that there is a task to consider and change so that North Korean residents strongly desire free unification. President Yoon urged, "We must actively work to expand the value of freedom to the North and bring about substantial changes in North Korea," adding, "Above all, we will carry out multidimensional efforts for the substantial improvement of North Korean human rights."
Promoting International Conference on North Korean Human Rights and Establishing North Korean Freedom and Human Rights Fund
He also pointed out the importance of accurately informing our people and the international community about the realities of North Korean human rights abuses. President Yoon said, "One reason we published the 'Annual North Korean Human Rights Report' for the first time since our government took office is for this purpose," adding, "We will cooperate with domestic and international NGOs, allied countries, and international organizations to widely publicize North Korea's human rights violations and continuously urge improvements." To this end, he promised to promote an 'International Conference on North Korean Human Rights' and establish a 'North Korean Freedom and Human Rights Fund' to actively support private activities that promote freedom and human rights for North Korean residents.
President Yoon said, "We will continue to provide humanitarian aid to guarantee the survival rights of North Korean residents," adding, "Although the North Korean regime refused relief supplies for flood victims on August 1, we will not give up humanitarian aid."
He stressed the importance of awakening North Korean residents to the value of freedom. President Yoon emphasized, "If more North Korean residents realize that free unification is the only way to improve their lives and believe that the unified Republic of Korea will embrace them, they will become strong allies for free unification."
He also said that it is necessary to instill the dream and hope of free unification in North Korea's future generations. To this end, he plans to expand the 'right to access information' so that North Korean residents can access external information through various channels.
"Role of North Korean Defectors to Contribute to Unification Capabilities"
He added, "The government will properly protect North Korean defectors and incorporate their roles into unification capabilities," stating, "We will actively reflect the experiences and knowledge of defectors who have experienced both South and North Korea in the formulation and promotion of unification policies, making them valuable assets in opening the future of the unified Republic of Korea."
President Yoon said, "We will keep the door to inter-Korean dialogue wide open. Inter-Korean dialogue should not be a showy political event but a substantive venue to discuss peace guarantees and improvements in the lives of our people and North Korean residents," proposing the establishment of a working-level 'dialogue consultative body' between South and North Korean authorities. He explained that this consultative body would address any issues, including tension reduction, economic cooperation, human exchanges, cultural exchanges, and responses to disasters and climate change, and could also discuss humanitarian issues such as separated families, Korean War POWs, abductees, and detainees.
President Yoon said, "If North Korea takes even the first step toward denuclearization, we will immediately begin political and economic cooperation," urging, "We call on the North Korean authorities to respond so that substantive progress in inter-Korean relations can be achieved through dialogue and cooperation."
President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee are saluting the national flag together with Lee Dong-il, chairman of the Association of Bereaved Families of Patriots, and other attendees at the 79th Liberation Day Celebration held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 15th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Yoon Establishes 'International Korean Peninsula Forum'... Strengthening International Solidarity for Unification
He promised to put more effort into solidarity with the international community. President Yoon said, "Just as our division was a product of international politics, unification will not be easy to achieve alone," adding, "We must widely spread the belief that the unified Republic of Korea will be a country contributing to world peace and prosperity to the international community."
President Yoon emphasized, "We will work harder to garner international support for free unification," adding, "To this end, we will establish the 'International Korean Peninsula Forum' together with like-minded countries. We will strive to solidify the solidarity of freedom with allies and friendly countries and build consensus on our unification."
He said, "In the unified Republic of Korea, we will enjoy greater freedom and opportunities, and furthermore, it will be a message of blessing to all of human society," concluding, "My administration and I will make 2024 a new starting point toward the 'Free, Peaceful, and Prosperous Unified Republic of Korea.'"
Finally, he added, "To advance toward a unified Republic of Korea, we must become stronger," urging, "We must achieve greater historical progress by confronting internal and external challenges threatening our freedom. Let us join hands firmly as a greater Korea, a unified Korea, and move forward vigorously together."
The First Ever 'Half' Liberation Day Ceremony... Liberation Association and Opposition Parties Absent
Meanwhile, the Liberation Day ceremony hosted by the government on this day was conducted as a 'half' event. This was because some independence movement organizations, including the Liberation Association, and opposition parties boycotted the ceremony amid clashes with the government and ruling party over the appointment of Kim Hyung-seok, the director of the Independence Hall, who was embroiled in a 'New Right controversy.'
While the government and ruling party held the event at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, the Liberation Association, the Federation of Independence Movement Organizations, and opposition parties held their event at the Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Until now, the Liberation Day ceremony had been held together regardless of ideology or political faction, but this time it was conducted in a split state for the first time in history.
About 350 people, including Liberation Association members and descendants of independence activists, attended the event hosted by the Liberation Association. Around 100 opposition party figures from the Democratic Party, the People's Innovation Party, and the Basic Income Party also attended this event instead of the government ceremony. Notably, Woo Won-shik, the Speaker of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party, also did not attend the government-hosted ceremony and visited the National Seoul National Cemetery to pay respects to independence patriots.
In his commemorative speech, Lee Jong-chan, chairman of the Liberation Association, emphasized, "Recently, distorted truths and low-level historical awareness tainted by pro-Japanese perspectives have spread, plunging our society into chaos," adding, "As part of an unwavering struggle to protect our historical consciousness and identity, we had to show the determination of the Liberation Association members."
On the morning of the 15th, the 79th anniversary of the August 15 Liberation Day, at the Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall in Hyochang Park, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, during the Liberation Association-hosted Liberation Day ceremony, Park Chan-dae, Acting Representative and Floor Leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (from the right), Yong Hye-in, Representative of the Basic Income Party, Jo Guk, Representative of the Innovation Party for the Nation, and Han Chang-min, Representative of the Social Democratic Party, are singing the national anthem. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Ruling and Opposition Parties Clash... "Democratic Party Encourages Division" vs. "Yoon Should Apologize to Patriotic Martyrs"
The ruling and opposition parties engaged in a fierce 'blame game' over the divided Liberation Day ceremony.
Han Ji-a, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement, "Even on this joyful day when the country regained its light, opposition parties like the Democratic Party continue to engage in political agitation that fosters conflict and division," adding, "There are concerns that the noble spirit of sacrifice of our patriotic martyrs may be diminished due to their irresponsible attitude."
Jung Kwang-jae, spokesperson for the People Power Party, also stated, "The Democratic Party's boycott of the ceremony damages the true meaning of liberation and turns the national celebration of Liberation Day into a half-hearted event," emphasizing, "We must not ignore voices of concern about 'historical exploitation' that incites public conflict."
On the other hand, Park Chan-dae, floor leader of the Democratic Party, demanded in a 'Statement Condemning the Pro-Japanese and Anti-National Yoon Suk-yeol Regime' announced in front of the Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall, "The Yoon Suk-yeol regime must immediately stop the conspiracy to hand over the country entirely to Japan and the pro-Japanese New Right and apologize to the people and patriotic martyrs."
Choi Min-seok, spokesperson for the Democratic Party, also explained in a briefing at the National Assembly communication office, "The Yoon Suk-yeol regime has turned even the 79th Liberation Day into a 'Pro-Japanese Resurrection Day' to restore pro-Japanese history," adding that the Democratic Party will cooperate with the Liberation Association and related organizations to revoke Kim's appointment.
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