South Korea Acting President: "Overwhelming Response to North Korea Provocations"... Ruling and Opposition Parties Also Say "Remember the Heroes"

West Sea Defense Day... Ruling and Opposition Leaders Attend
"North Korean Regime Threatens the Peninsula... Obsessed with Nuclear Weapons and Missiles"

Prime Minister and Acting President Han Duck-soo said on the 28th, marking the West Sea Defense Day, "We will respond immediately and overwhelmingly to any provocations from North Korea," adding, "We will further strengthen the ROK-US alliance and enhance solidarity with the international community." The leadership of both ruling and opposition parties, who have been in continuous confrontation, also spoke in unison on this day, saying, "We remember the heroes who defended the West Sea against North Korea's surprise attacks and provocations."

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is attending the West Sea Defense Day ceremony held at the National Daejeon National Cemetery on the 28th, observing a moment of silence. Photo by Yonhap News

At the 10th West Sea Defense Day commemorative ceremony held at the National Daejeon National Cemetery that morning, Acting President Han stated, "Thanks to the noble sacrifices of the heroes, the West Sea has been firmly protected, but the most regressive North Korean regime on Earth still threatens peace on the Korean Peninsula and the world today," criticizing, "The North Korean regime pursues only power succession while neglecting the miserable lives of its people and is engrossed in developing nuclear weapons and missiles."

He continued, "Moreover, through illegal arms transactions with Russia, they are upgrading weapon systems aimed at us and plotting new forms of provocations," emphasizing, "Despite such threats from North Korea, our government and military are fully prepared so that the people can live their daily lives with peace of mind." He added, "We will further strengthen the ROK-US alliance and firmly maintain our security posture so that no one dares to threaten the Republic of Korea."

Acting President Han also pledged to strengthen support for heroes who sacrificed for the nation, the wounded, and bereaved families. He explained, "We will carefully assist the wounded by improving medical services and expanding rehabilitation support so they can regain their daily lives," and "We will wholeheartedly support the children of the heroes who tragically died in the line of duty so that they can grow up with pride and dignity."

Acting President and Prime Minister Han Duck-soo is greeting Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, at the West Sea Defense Day ceremony held at the National Daejeon National Cemetery on the 28th. Photo by Yonhap News

On the same day, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the West Sea Defense Day commemorative ceremony for the first time. At the Supreme Council meeting held before the ceremony, Lee said, "The Democratic Party will take the lead in ensuring that those who endured noble sacrifices receive proper treatment," adding, "There may be various opinions on security policies, but there can be no disagreement on the principle of 'special compensation for special sacrifices.'" He particularly mentioned China's illegal installation of structures, emphasizing, "The Democratic Party firmly opposes all acts of territorial sovereignty infringement and will protect our West Sea more firmly."

On the same day, Kwon Young-se, emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, and Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader, also attended the ceremony to pay tribute to the patriotic martyrs. Floor leader Kwon wrote on social media (SNS) Facebook, "As history proves, peace is the result of power," adding, "That power is not only military and economic strength but also the power of memory. Therefore, honoring heroes is equivalent to protecting the nation."