72nd Anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement
President Lee: "The U.S. Contributed to Korea's Freedom and Peace"
President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the 5th Senior Secretary and Aide Meeting held on the 24th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee Jaemyung emphasized on the 27th, marking the 72nd anniversary of the Korean War Armistice Agreement, that "the United States is a blood-shared ally and our strongest partner."
On this day, at a commemorative ceremony held at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. at 10:00 a.m. local time, President Lee made these remarks through a speech read by Minister of Patriots and Veterans Affairs Kwon Oeul. President Lee stated about the United States, "When the Korean War broke out, the U.S. swiftly led the United Nations Security Council to adopt a resolution and established the United Nations Command, contributing to the defense of the Republic of Korea's freedom and peace."
President Lee further explained, "Among the 22 participating nations, the United States dispatched the largest number of soldiers, totaling 1,789,000. Of these, 36,000 were killed in action, 92,000 were wounded, and 8,000 were missing or taken prisoner. They shed blood for the people of the Republic of Korea, whom they had never met."
He continued, "On behalf of the Republic of Korea, I once again express my deep gratitude for their noble sacrifice and dedication."
President Lee also pledged, "Going forward, the Republic of Korea will continue to express gratitude to as many veterans as possible and inform their descendants of the great dedication of their forebears. Through efforts across various fields such as politics, economy, security, and culture, we will further strengthen the Korea-U.S. alliance forged in blood and work even harder to ensure that freedom and peace are firmly maintained on the Korean Peninsula."
President Lee stated, "Today's ceremony is a meaningful occasion to once again confirm the solidarity between the Korea-U.S. alliance, which was forged through the Korean War, and the United Nations participating nations. For the Republic of Korea, honoring the great dedication of the UN veterans who participated in the Korean War and reinforcing solidarity with the participating countries is extremely important."
Approximately 200 people attended the ceremony, including U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas Collins, White House National Security Council Senior Advisor Ivan Kanapathy, Department of Defense Director for Future Generation Wireless Technology Policy and Technology Thomas Londo, Director of the U.S. Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency Kelly McKeague, Chairman of the Korean War Veterans Memorial Foundation John Tillery, and local defense attach?s from UN participating countries.
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