President Lee: "Peace Is Economy Itself... I Will Establish Firm Peace"
Unification Minister Kim Youngho, Appointed by Yoon Administration, Absent from Ceremony
On June 12, President Lee Jaemyung stated, "I will make every possible effort for a peaceful, coexisting, and prosperous Korean Peninsula." In particular, President Lee emphasized, "I will strive to quickly restore the suspended inter-Korean communication channels."
On this day, at the 25th anniversary event of the June 15 Inter-Korean Summit held at the Kim Daejung Library in Mapo-gu, President Lee delivered a congratulatory address through Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Woo Sangho, saying, "We will put an end to wasteful hostile acts and resume dialogue and cooperation." This was President Lee's first June 15 commemorative event since taking office, and he sent the Senior Presidential Secretary to deliver his message. Kim Youngho, the Minister of Unification appointed under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, did not attend the ceremony.
President Lee also stated, "We will restore a crisis management system as soon as possible to prevent accidental clashes and avoid escalating tensions," stressing, "History teaches us that when peace is shaken, both the economy and security are also destabilized."
He continued, "Peace is economy itself," and added, "Based on firm peace, the two Koreas must create a Korean Peninsula where both can coexist and prosper." He also said, "Upholding the spirit of June 15 in its entirety is the starting point," and emphasized, "Restoring lost time and recovering vanished peace is the path that benefits both South and North Korea."
Regarding the June 15 North-South Joint Declaration, President Lee assessed that it brought about a historic transformation in inter-Korean relations by ending decades of confrontation and animosity, and ushering in reconciliation and cooperation. He said, "The promise made 25 years ago to achieve peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula is a historical lesson that must never be forgotten, especially today when division, tension, and distrust have deepened."
He added, "By firmly embracing the spirit of June 15, I will do my utmost as President to open a new era of peaceful coexistence and prosperity for all people living on the Korean Peninsula, together with the citizens."
President Lee also stressed, "We will turn hostility and confrontation into reconciliation and cooperation, and work to ease military tensions and foster an atmosphere of peace on the Korean Peninsula." He emphasized, "We will build a solid peace in which there is no need for the two Koreas to fight."
Additionally, National Assembly Speaker Woo Wonshik stated that peace is not a choice but a matter of survival. Speaker Woo said, "Acts such as loudspeaker broadcasts or leaflet drops, which escalate military tensions and confrontation, are actions that close the door to peace ourselves. The June 15 Joint Declaration is a model of peace diplomacy that we must learn from again. The National Assembly will take responsible action to shift the flow from confrontation to dialogue, from division to cooperation, and to redirect the current toward peace."
This event drew attention as it was held amid conciliatory measures toward North Korea, such as the South Korean military suspending loudspeaker broadcasts toward the North.
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