Lee-address-full text
Full text of President Lee Jae Myung's speech on 107th March 1 Independence Movement Day
SEOUL, March 1 (Yonhap) -- The following is a translation of President Lee Jae Myung's speech to commemorate the 107th anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement. It was provided by his office.
Fellow citizens of the Republic of Korea, 7 million Koreans overseas, decorated independence activists and relatives of the dearly departed,
On this day 107 years ago, shouts of "Long live Korean independence" echoed across the world.
On that day, we all stood as one. There were no divisions in social class or status, no differences in age or gender. The Gyeongsang-do and Jeolla-do provinces stood together, and there was no divide between left and right. In Pyongyang, in Seoul, in Busan, in Sinuiju -- all the way from Hallasan Mountain to Baekdusan Mountain -- the entire nation was indeed filled with cries of "Long live Korean independence."
Our forebears stood firm against imperial Japan's oppression by organizing armed resistance at home and engaging in diplomatic efforts abroad. Their spirit led to the establishment of the Provisional Republic of Korea Government.
Because they united for a greater cause, overcoming their small differences, the March First Revolution ultimately bore fruit, resulting in the joyous liberation of our nation.
On this 107th anniversary of the March First Independence Movement, I extend my deepest respect and pay the highest tribute to our patriotic forefathers who gave their lives for our nation's independence. I also express my deepest gratitude to the four living decorated independence heroes and to surviving family members.
Had it not been for those who gave everything for the independence of our homeland and for the hope of a better tomorrow for their descendants, the free and prosperous Republic of Korea we enjoy today could never have existed.
Honoring and upholding their devotion, therefore, is both an extraordinary reward for an extraordinary sacrifice and the minimum responsibility needed to sustain our community.
As I announced on Liberation Day last year, we will expand our efforts to identify and confer honors upon any independence activists yet to be formally recognized, and we will make special efforts to bolster support for their descendants.
We will designate Hyochang Park and its environs as the National Hyochang Independence Park and devise a plan to make extensive use of the former site of the Provisional Government in Shanghai, so that our forebears' spirit of independence can be honored and carried forward for generations to come.
Moreover, as this year marks the 150th anniversary of the birth of Korean independence movement leader Kim Gu (pen name: Baekbeom), we will continue to uphold his noble legacy through nationwide commemorative projects in which all citizens can take part.
We will build, a fair nation where common sense prevails. To this end, we will ensure that the cynical notion that three generations suffer for fighting for independence disappears from use, that those who devoted themselves to the country are honored with respect and that acts of betrayal against the community are met with stern justice.
Fellow Koreans,
A century ago, when the March First Revolution took place, the world was in the throes of great upheavals -- it was an era when the strong exploited the weak.
Many nations, including our own, endured the pain of losing their sovereignty and suffering under colonial rule.
Only after experiencing the devastation of World War II did the international community establish new norms for mediating national disputes and maintaining peace.
Yet today, a century later, the world once again faces another period of cataclysms. The international norms established over the past eighty years -- since the end of World War II -- are being seriously threatened by power politics.
If we are to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, we must draw lessons from history.
Today, the spirit of our forebears who led the March First Revolution offers profound lessons not only to us but to people around the world.
The March First Revolution was both a declaration of independence and a declaration of peace. It served as a compass, guiding us toward a future of peaceful coexistence.
Through the March First Declaration of Independence, our forebears lamented that we had "lost the opportunity to contribute to world culture with new technologies and originality."
They also expressed the aspiration that, upon achieving independence, they "would illuminate human history with the dawning light of a new civilization, guided by a humanitarian spirit cultivated over millennia."
They envisioned a democratic republic that truly belongs to the people. They dreamed of a peaceful world of great unity where nations do not exploit one another through force, but where people empathize with one another, stand in solidarity and coexist in harmony.
This is precisely why -- in this age of crisis when democracy and peace are once again under threat -- we must all reflect deeply upon the spirit of the March First Revolution.
In 1919, we were a powerless people living under colonial subjugation. But the Korean people of 2026 possess the power to move hearts around the globe and the boundless potential to transform the world.
The Republic of Korea is the only country among those liberated from colonial rule to have achieved both industrialization and democratization.
The great Korean people achieved industrialization after liberation through the Miracle on the Han River.
Even under oppressive dictatorships, we achieved democratization through the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Democratization Movement and the June 10 Democratic Struggle. And, we astonished the world with a resplendent display of popular sovereignty during the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light.
The Republic of Korea is turning our forebears' dreams into reality on the back of its status as a top 10 global economy, which is strong enough to create affluence, and its world-class, global fifth-ranked military, which is powerful enough to repel foreign aggression. Through the power of our highly sophisticated culture, which ranks seventh in terms of global influence, we are broadening the horizons of understanding and empathy and spreading peace across the world.
What made all this possible was the spirit of the March First Revolution -- a spirit that has flowed unceasingly through the veins of our people.
I dare say that I am confident that the spirit of the March First Revolution -- championed by our forebears and steadfastly upheld by our people -- will serve as a beacon for the global community as it endures an era of crisis in which democracy and peace are disrupted, guiding it toward a new world of hope.
Fellow citizens,
Let us now begin, here on the Korean Peninsula, the efforts of realizing the dream of peace and coexistence that our forebears earnestly yearned for.
Building a peaceful Korean Peninsula -- where we can grow together through coexistence and cooperation, not hostility, and on a foundation of trust, not mistrust -- is the true way to fully uphold the spirit of the March First Revolution.
Let us not turn away from the unwavering lesson of history: that hostility and confrontation serve neither side's interests.
Let us put an end to this era of confrontation and conflict that has persisted for well over half a century and usher in a Korean Peninsula of peaceful coexistence and shared prosperity.
As my administration has repeatedly made clear, we respect the North's system and will neither engage in any type of hostile acts nor pursue any form of unification by absorption.
Just as we have proactively taken a series of measures through actions rather than words to reduce military tensions and restore mutual trust between the two Koreas, we will consistently do everything necessary to build peace on the Korean Peninsula and restore inter-Korean trust.
Last year's unexpected incursion into North Korea of an unmanned aerial vehicle was a grave threat to peace on the Korean Peninsula.
There can never be an excuse for actions that provoke tension and clashes on the Korean Peninsula, which is shared by both the South and the North. We will thoroughly ascertain the truth about this incident and implement institutional safeguards to ensure that it never recurs.
We will also continue our efforts to resume dialogue with the North.
As a "pacemaker," we will communicate with the United States and neighboring countries to ensure that dialogue between North Korea and the United States resumes as soon as possible.
We will make every effort to convert the armistice system to a peace regime by substantively easing tensions between the two Koreas and working with relevant countries.
Since North Korea is formulating and implementing a new five-year plan, I hope that it will swiftly return to the negotiating table and join us in shaping a new future.
It is my hope that the shouts of "Long live Korean independence" by our forebears, who longed for world peace, will once again resonate as a joint pledge by the two Koreas to realize a "Korean Peninsula of peace and shared prosperity."
Our relationship with Japan must also move forward based on the spirit of the March First Independence Movement, which was driven by the pursuit of peace and coprosperity.
Korea and Japan have shared a turbulent history.
Traces of that heartbreaking history still remain in every corner of our society, and victims and their distraught family members continue to suffer.
In the past, our two countries even despite unhealed pain and open wounds normalized diplomatic relations to bring about a future of cooperation and friendly, neighborly relations.
Over the past sixty years, Korea and Japan have deepened their cooperation across all areas, including diplomacy, the economy, society and culture, advancing their relationship as close neighbors with a common front yard.
Facing a stark international situation, now is the time for our two countries to respond to present realities and work together to usher in a better future.
Through pragmatic diplomacy, the government of popular sovereignty will do everything possible to squarely face the past, jointly address present challenges and move forward into the future.
We will continue engaging in shuttle diplomacy with Japan and providing proactive support so that the peoples of both countries can more fully experience the benefits of improved relations and unlock new opportunities together.
I look forward to the Japanese government's continued engagement so that, together, our two countries may create a "friendly new world based on genuine mutual understanding and empathy."
To wisely navigate these turbulent times, harmony in Northeast Asia is more crucial than ever.
In his "Treatise on Peace in the East," independence activist Ahn Jung-geun stressed that cooperation among Korea, China and Japan is the path toward world peace.
Reflecting on the significance of peace and harmony in Northeast Asia, I emphasized the need for Korea, China and Japan to find common ground, communicate and cooperate during my back-to-back visits to China and Japan at the start of this year.
Following the wishes of our forebears, who sought to use peace in Northeast Asia to achieve world peace, we will unceasingly continue striving for harmony and prosperity.
Fellow 52 million citizens of the Republic of Korea and 7 million Koreans overseas,
Our forebears managed to overcome small differences and unite as one, achieving independence and laying the foundation for the Republic of Korea.
If we great people of the Republic of Korea -- who inherited this spirit -- join hands and fully realize our potential, we can bring about the peaceful world our forebears dreamed of.
Let us move forward together and achieve an advanced, exemplary democratic nation; a peaceful Korean Peninsula free from fears of war; and a Republic of Korea where culture flourishes and prospers -- the country our fallen patriotic forebears and independence activists envisioned.
In the spirit of the March First Revolution, let us open the path toward peace and democracy, mutual benefits and common prosperity.
Together as the great people of the Republic of Korea, we will advance toward the light our forebears so desperately longed for.
Thank you.
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