Fellow Koreans, decorated patriots and veterans and families of the fallen,

Marking the 62nd Memorial Day, I bow deeply before the noble souls of those who sacrificed themselves for the country. My sympathy and gratitude go out to the families of those who lost loved ones in the cause of protecting the homeland. I also pay my heartfelt tribute to those who served the country with distinction.

Today, I think of patriotism here at the National Cemetery. Had it not been for the patriotism of our people, we would not have the Republic of Korea of today. Our history has been interspersed with incessant ordeals ranging from colonialization, division and war to poverty and struggles against dictatorships. It was patriotism that enabled us to overcome all these tribulations. The past century has been turned into our proud history.

Fellow Koreans,

It was the conviction of our independence activists that made it possible to keep the name of our country, the Republic of Korea. From volunteer righteous armies to the Korean Liberation Army against imperialist Japan, the conviction about restoring national sovereignty and achieving self-reliant independence was embedded in the national flag, the Taegeukgi. Even though their bodies were slashed and nails pulled out, they never deserted their country, flying the Taegeukgi in their hearts. The people fostered independence fighters and supported the independence movement, unwaveringly living out sorrow over their lost country. This is patriotism.

It took long years even after liberation until our independence activists and their descendants were honored by the nation. The reality is, however, still contrary to what it should be—the children and grandchildren of independence fighters have lived in poverty while the children and grandchildren of pro-Japanese collaborators have thrived. Descendants of independence activists are suffering from the distress of impoverishment and the frustration of being uneducated. With this disgraceful and regretful reality left unattended, we cannot call our nation a properly functioning country. The honor bestowed for patriotism must not remain only lip service. We will work to identify even one more independence activist, even one more of their descendants and even one more story of the independence movement. We will remember and honor them. That is what is required of the nation.

There were many sons of this country who gave their lives while the 38th parallel was turned into the truce line. Our soldiers shed blood to retake even an inch of land in hundreds of hills along the front line. Their short lives made it possible to expand the territory of the country. Our troops were not the only ones who defended the front line. Young adults and students in the rear also joined forces after pledging allegiance and devotion to the Taegeukgi. Carrying A-frames on their backs, civilians hauled ammunition and food. This is patriotism.

Hills with no names where fierce battles took place—White Horse in Cheolwon and Heartbreak Ridge and Bloody Ridge in Yanggu—became the graves of brave soldiers. Those hills were given sad names steeped in the tragedy of war. They became hills of tears for those veterans who had to leave their comrades-in-arms behind and have lived with a lifetime of painful memories. We will do what it takes to find the remains of those still lying where they fell and have them buried here in the National Cemetery.

The veterans who were wounded on battlefields and those who have lived with indelible scars from the sacrifices of their fellow soldiers are the very fathers of this country. We will make sure to honor them. We will not let them be taken advantage of by ideological groups and will see to it that they are respected by all the sons and daughters of this land. That is what they deserve from their nation.

Thanks to the dedication and sacrifice of the Korean Vietnamese War veterans, the Korean economy was resuscitated. They unhesitatingly answered the call of the Republic of Korea. They carried out their missions silently, prevailing over hardships in sweltering heat waves and jungles. This is patriotism.

Diseases and disabilities resulting from the war on foreign soil are the debt the Government should also be held accountable for. Now it is the Government’s turn to give an appropriate answer. We will repay their service with proper treatment and honor. That is what is required of the nation.

My fellow Koreans,

Today, I join you in remembering the fact that dedication to and sacrifice for the country did not take place only on battlefields. At a time when the country was desperately in need of foreign currency and even any single dollar it could get, there were Koreans who made important contributions to the country’s modernization while working in Germany, a foreign land far away from their home. Korean miners sent to Germany, engulfed in coal dust and soaked in sweat in hot underground mines, worked to dig up coal. Korean nurses sent to Germany endured even all unpleasant work at hospitals. Their devotion and sacrifice laid a stepping stone for the country’s economy. This is patriotism.

I am also grateful for the sacrifice and dedicated efforts of those female workers, who devoted the prime of their lives working in attic workshops that lined the Cheonggyecheon stream, the ceilings of which were so low they could not stand up straight. They worked at sewing machines with bleary eyes and had cracked fingertips removing stitches. They were called female factory workers instead of patriots, but they were the ones who helped achieve the Miracle on the Han River. This is patriotism.

Today, on behalf of the Government, I honor deep in my heart those who are now aged and recalling the times when they exerted all their efforts for their poor country.

Fellow citizens, decorated patriots and veterans and families of fallen heroes,

Patriotism is everything that has helped build Korea today. Every single individual who dedicated themselves to the nation makes up none other than the Republic of Korea. They themselves in their entirety are the Republic of Korea that is not and cannot be divided into liberals and conservatives.

The flags independence fighters embraced were also fluttering on many ridges where battles were waged to capture hilltop positions. The flags flown when seeing off coal miners and nurses to Germany were also flown at the time of the May 18 Democratization Movement in 1980 and the June Struggle in 1987. The flags were etched deep in the minds of our brave sailors who risked their lives to defend our maritime territory in the West Sea and their bereaved families. They differed in how they showed love of country, but still, they were all patriots.

A new Republic of Korea has to start from here. Reconciliation has to be realized with our hearts, going beyond our institutions. There was neither left nor right in getting the country back and neither young nor old in safeguarding the country. As such, our people stood at the very center of the history of patriotism.

My Administration and I will honor and keep the legacy of patriotism. I earnestly ask all those who devoted themselves to the defense of the Republic of Korea to take the lead with that same patriotism in further promoting unity in Korea. You are the ones who could put an end to ideological conflicts in this country. It is you all who have loved the homeland throughout your whole life and who could now end hatred, confrontations and conflicts between generations in this country.

More than anything else, my Administration will not repeat the unfortunate past practices of utilizing the history of patriotism for governance. I will end politics controlled along ideological lines that instigate an us-versus-them mindset, which regarded the war experience as a means for ruling, rather than focusing on treating the aftereffects of the war. 

Fellow Koreans, decorated patriots and veterans and their families,  

I declare here today clearly that the welfare of veterans and patriots is a road toward the unity of the people and a robust nation.

The welfare policy for veterans and patriots in the country has steadily developed so far. It started from military support to include treatment provided with respect and compensation for veterans. Its scope has also expanded from persons of national merit who sacrificed themselves in the defense of the country to include those who fought for independence or democracy, or who were injured or killed on official duty. Though we were not able to serve some of the military and police or some public servants and righteous people whose worth needed to be honored as persons of national merit, we have come up with legislation to provide them with respectful treatment and support. All these, however, have been far short of matching the level of their contributions and failed to reach the standard asked for by the people in terms of common sense and their expectations.

Now I will take a step further. If the National Assembly agrees, I will lift the status of the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and upgrade it to a ministerial-level organization. I will make sure that persons of national merit, veteran welfare recipients and their families can live with pride.

There must be an unshakable belief that those who make contributions to the country will be compensated while traitors will be judged. That is a properly functioning country for which people can demonstrate their patriotism.

Let’s build a nation together, in which patriotism, justice, principle and honesty are rewarded. Let’s build a fair country together where the success of individuals and businesses simultaneously constitutes the road toward patriotism.

Again, I commemorate the memory of patriotic martyrs and fallen heroes who sacrificed themselves in the defense of the country or fought for democracy. I pray for the repose of their souls.

Thank you very much.