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Korea observes anniversary of Armistice Agreement
President Yoon and New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro are joined by young people in a performance to show solidarity between nations.
"The South Korea of today stands on the dedication of the U.N. forces and their blood-stained uniforms," Yoon said during an address he made on July 27 at the ceremony in Busan.
Yoon spoke in front of an audience that included foreign dignitaries, war veterans and their families, who gathered at the Busan Cinema Center in Haeundae-gu district. The gathering was held in observance of U.N. Forces Participation Day, designated to honor the U.N. forces who fought with South Korea during the inter-Korean conflict from 1950 to 1953.
Yoon said, "73 years ago, countless young people from the free world came to defend the freedom of South Korea, a country they never knew, under the flag of the United Nations." He honored the more than 1.9 million troops from 22 countries who came to defend South Korea following the North's illegal invasion.
Speaking directly to the U.N. veterans in attendance, Yoon called them Korea's true heroes and personally greeted each of them at the beginning of the ceremony. The president vowed to never forget the sacrifices made by U.N. forces, which enabled South Korea to grow into a free and prosperous country.
Yoon further noted the significance of the venue and the city. The Busan Cinema Center is located on what used to be Suyeong Airfield, a key location during the war. Of the city, Yoon stated, "Busan has grown from a city of over one million refugees into the world's second-largest transshipment port and a global logistics hub."
With Busan now vying to host the 2030 World Expo, Yoon also said this would not have been possible without the U.N.
"Thanks to the U.N., Busan is preparing to host the most successful World Expo in history, being reborn as world-class maritime city from the ashes of war."
He also added, "The World Expo in Busan would serve as an opportunity for nations to come together to address humanity's most pressing issues."
Finally, Yoon promised, "Korea will continue to stand in solidarity with liberal democracies and strive for freedom, peace and prosperity not only in the Indo-Pacific region, but also around the world." He concluded by affirming the ironclad alliance between Korea and the U.S.
The Busan ceremony, held under the theme of "Freedom by Dedication, Future by Alliance," was attended by 2,600 participants, including Busan Mayor Park Heong-joon and New Zealand Governor-General Cindy Kiro.
President Yoon honors fallen UN soldiers at UNMC.
Ahead of the ceremony, President Yoon and foreign dignitaries from the 22 countries that made up the U.N. forces visited the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Nam-gu district. The group paid tribute to fallen soldiers. Yoon is the first sitting president to visit the cemetery, the only U.N. cemetery in the world, where over 2,300 soldiers are laid to rest.