[Full Text] President Lee Jaemyung's Address on the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Day

On the 15th, President Lee Jaemyung declared that South Korea respects North Korea's current system and will not pursue any form of absorption unification. He also stated that, to build trust with North Korea, the government will restore the September 19 Military Agreement and seek a peaceful resolution to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula through inter-Korean dialogue, US-North Korea talks, and international cooperation. Regarding Japan, he emphasized a principle of pragmatic, national interest-centered diplomacy, pledging to meet frequently and engage in candid dialogue through shuttle diplomacy to explore a path of future-oriented, mutually beneficial cooperation. President Lee further asserted that acts denying the history of the independence struggle or insulting independence activists must no longer be tolerated, promising special honors for surviving patriots and expanding compensation for the families of independence merit awardees.

Yonhap News Agency

The following is the full text of President Lee's Liberation Day address.

Esteemed 52 million citizens,

Seven million compatriots abroad,

And independence patriots and their families,

Eighty years ago today, we regained the light that had been taken from us.

The light that shone with joy across every corner of our land was not won easily.

It was achieved through the sacrifices and dedication of countless people who burned themselves with indomitable will for liberation and a fervent desire to restore sovereignty.

Liberation Day is not merely the day we achieved independence.

It is the day we regained the freedom and rights to determine our own future and to choose our own way of life.

Over the past 80 years, our Republic of Korea has achieved remarkable accomplishments.

Among nations liberated from colonial rule, we are the only one to have achieved both industrialization and democratization, rising to become a leading democratic nation with the fifth strongest military and tenth largest economy.

The dream of becoming a cultural powerhouse, so ardently wished for by the revered Kim Gu, is also becoming a reality.

People around the world sing in our language,

and enjoy the content we have created-films, dramas, comics, literature, and more.

This was possible because of the passion of independence fighters and patriotic forebears who dreamed of building a strong nation that would never again be deprived of its light.

As the saying goes, "When drinking water, remember its source,"

it is our rightful responsibility, as those who enjoy freedom and prosperity, to honor the sacrifices and dedication of those who made today's Korea possible.

To commemorate the proud history of the anti-Japanese struggle and to uphold the honor of independence patriots is to protect the past, present, and future of our community.

Acts that deny the history of the independence struggle or insult independence activists must no longer be tolerated.

If we turn our backs on those who sacrificed for all,

who will step forward for the community when another crisis comes?

The more we honor and respect those who made special sacrifices for our community,

the stronger our community will become.

Our government will properly remember and record the history of the independence struggle, together with the people.

We will provide special honors for surviving patriots and expand the scope of compensation for the families of independence merit awardees.

We will actively pursue the repatriation of the remains of overseas independence patriots,

and identify those who have not yet been recognized,

so that everyone receives the honor they deserve.

Dear and respected citizens,

Our tumultuous history has been a long journey toward the "Revolution of Light."

It was a continuous struggle to reclaim the lost light and to protect it.

The great spirit of the March 1st Revolution led to the Provisional Government,

and the flames of the independence struggle spread across the entire Korean Peninsula and the world,

until we finally regained our light.

Even in the darkness of division and war,

our people never let go of hope,

and even in the harsh cold of dictatorship, we protected our precious light.

Through the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Democratization Movement, and the June 10 Democratic Uprising,

we brightly illuminated the light of democratization,

and, through two unprecedented bloodless peaceful revolutions,

declared to the world that this land is a democratic republic where popular sovereignty is alive.

The "Revolution of Light" that continued from the end of last year into this year

was a moment of emotion, as the "Lamp of the East" praised by Tagore shone with the colorful lights of cheering sticks.

It is because of darkness that we know the value of light,

and because of light that we have the courage to confront darkness.

Let us all work together to ensure that the light regained through liberation is never lost again,

and that the light protected from dictatorship and insurrection never goes out again.

This, I believe, is the true completion of the "Revolution of Light" and the way to honor the noble sacrifices of our forebears.

Respected citizens,

Our ancestors dreamed of a strong nation and a world where all prospered, even amid hardship.

Even facing death, they advocated for peace in the East,

and, despite the pain of invasion, yearned for the power of high culture.

However, the unexpected division became an obstacle to these earnest wishes.

The division system not only split our land,

but became a huge barrier that separates our people.

Forces pursuing private interests

used division as a pretext

to endlessly divide the people and fracture national unity.

They not only suppressed democracy and limited popular sovereignty,

but even shamelessly attempted to drive our people into the horrors of war.

Now, we must break down the barriers within ourselves.

Only then can we move toward the nation our ancestors dreamed of.

We have learned, over the past 80 years, that hatred, hostility, confrontation, and conflict solve nothing and only seriously threaten the lives of the people and democracy.

When we transform the dark energy of division and exclusion

into the bright energy of inclusion, integration, and solidarity,

our society will be able to leap toward a better future.

In times of crisis, our people have always come together as one, overcoming small differences.

It was our people who reclaimed independence at the cost of their lives after the sorrow of losing our nation,

who achieved remarkable industrialization out of the ruins of war,

who overcame the IMF foreign exchange crisis by collecting gold,

and who defended constitutional order during armed insurrection.

Regrettably, however, our politics has not lived up to the expectations and standards of our people.

It is time to change our political culture as well.

When politics restores its function of pursuing the public good rather than private interests,

and when the abnormal situation in which the people worry about politics comes to an end,

the barriers of conflict and hatred within us will finally disappear.

I once again propose and urge, here and now, that we move beyond divisive politics based on outdated ideologies and camps, and together build politics of solidarity and coexistence based on dialogue and compromise.

Let us join hands and move toward the strong and prosperous nation, the nation where all prosper, and the true democratic republic where popular sovereignty is fully realized, as our ancestors wished.

Dear and respected citizens,

The inter-Korean confrontation that has persisted due to division threatens our lives, restricts economic development, and poses a serious obstacle to the future of our nation.

It is time to break free from old Cold War thinking and confrontation and open a new era of peace on the Korean Peninsula.

We know all too well that the continuation of hostility benefits neither the people of the South nor the North.

We have already experienced, through our harsh history, the misfortunes that arise when peace is shaken.

Peace is the foundation of a safe daily life,

the basis of democracy,

and an essential condition for economic development.

Is it not more important to create a state of peace-where there is no need to fight-than to win by fighting or to win without fighting?

Despite many ups and downs, inter-Korean dialogue continued, but was completely severed during the previous administration.

The more tangled the knot, the more patiently and carefully it must be untied.

Before talking about the distant future,

it is only right to begin by restoring trust and resuming dialogue now.

Trust is built not with words, but with actions.

Since taking office, the government of popular sovereignty has taken measures such as halting leaflet drops and loudspeaker broadcasts toward North Korea.

Going forward, our government will consistently take actions to ease tensions and restore trust in practical ways.

The South and North are not enemies.

We define South and North as a special relationship, in which each side respects and acknowledges the other's system while pursuing peaceful unification.

This spirit, enshrined in the Basic Agreement between South and North Korea,

runs through all inter-Korean agreements, including the June 15 Joint Declaration, October 4 Declaration, Panmunjom Declaration, and September 19 Joint Declaration.

Our government will respect existing agreements and promptly implement those that are feasible.

First, we make it clear that we respect the current system in the North,

will not pursue any form of absorption unification,

and have no intention of engaging in any hostile acts.

In particular, to prevent accidental clashes and build military trust between South and North,

we will take preemptive and phased steps to restore the September 19 Military Agreement.

Furthermore, in line with the principles of mutual benefit and reciprocity,

we will work to restore the foundation for exchange and cooperation that can meaningfully improve the lives of people in both Koreas, and to create conditions for joint growth.

I believe that this year, marking the 80th anniversary of liberation, is the right time to end the era of confrontation and hostility and to open a new era of peaceful coexistence and joint growth on the Korean Peninsula.

We will patiently hope for the North to respond as we work to restore trust and resume broken dialogue.

Meanwhile, a peaceful Korean Peninsula is a nuclear-free peninsula,

and one based on friendly cooperation with neighboring countries.

We recognize that denuclearization is a complex and extremely difficult task that cannot be solved in the short term.

We will seek a peaceful resolution through inter-Korean and US-North Korea dialogue and international cooperation,

while expanding international support and consensus for peace on the peninsula and the development of inter-Korean relations.

Respected citizens,

This year marks both the 80th anniversary of liberation and the 60th anniversary of Korea-Japan diplomatic relations.

It is a time to face the past squarely while exercising the wisdom to move forward.

Korea and Japan have long shared a turbulent history, making the task of defining our relationship with Japan always important and challenging.

Many among us still suffer from historical issues,

and there are significant conflicts over differing positions.

At the same time, we remember the dreams of independence activists.

Even as they resisted the harsh colonial rule of Imperial Japan,

they never lost hope that Korea and Japan could one day become true neighbors,

and we must carry on their earnest wishes.

Japan is our neighbor with whom we share a yard,

and an indispensable partner in economic development.

When diplomatic ties were normalized 60 years ago,

only about 10,000 people traveled between the two countries each year,

but now we have entered an era of 12 million annual exchanges.

Our national power has also grown incomparably since then.

Just as Korea and Japan grew together during industrial development,

when our two countries cooperate for the future based on trust,

we will be able to jointly overcome the challenges of the super-gap artificial intelligence era.

Based on the principle of pragmatic, national interest-centered diplomacy,

we will meet frequently and engage in honest dialogue through shuttle diplomacy,

seeking a future-oriented path of mutually beneficial cooperation with Japan.

The deeper the trust, the higher the quality of cooperation will be.

I expect the Japanese government to face the painful history of the past and work to ensure that trust between our two countries is not undermined.

When that happens, I believe even greater mutual benefits and a better future will unfold for both sides.

Respected citizens, sovereigns of the Republic of Korea,

We are all in the midst of a great "whirlwind" of change.

We must wisely navigate the complex crises of supply chain restructuring and rapid changes in trade order,

industrial transformation driven by advanced technology competition,

and the energy transition caused by the climate crisis.

The Korea-US tariff negotiations are but one wave.

Other waves will continue to come our way.

If we fail to respond properly to the rapidly changing order,

the future of the nation will be shaken and the lives of the people threatened.

We must never repeat the mistake of 120 years ago, in the year of Eulsa, when we lost our sovereignty after failing to keep up with changing international circumstances and being caught between the great powers.

The Eulsa year of 2025 must be different.

Whether we are swept away and wrecked by high waves, or turn crisis into opportunity and leap forward again,

depends entirely on us now.

If we fall a step behind, we will become weary pursuers, but if we manage to stay even half a step ahead, we will become pioneers enjoying boundless opportunities.

We must foster advanced science and technology, such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence, to actively respond to change.

We must accelerate the energy transition, including building an energy superhighway, to lead the future.

We must further refine our culture and lead the world with our soft power.

Only then will we be able to achieve a new leap forward for the next 100 years.

Though the path is untraveled,

we can certainly do it, just as we have done until now.

The light of self-reliant independence regained by our ancestors,

and the light of democracy achieved by our people,

will guide our way forward.

If the great resilience of our people is demonstrated once more,

just as we have walked without losing our way even in darkness,

we will surely find our way forward.