President Lee Jae Myung said honoring and paying due respects to those killed while serving the country is a social duty the nation should uphold.
President Lee Jae Myung made the remarks in a speech at a Memorial Day ceremony on Saturday at Seoul National Cemetery. The event was attended by 3,000 uniformed service members, government officials, national merit recipients and their families. Lee said, 'Commemorating the spirit of the patriots and paying them full respect is a social duty that we should faithfully uphold.' He highlighted the enactment next year of a law expanding benefits for the families of independence fighters. The president also reaffirmed his commitment to expanding the network of veterans hospitals into remote areas, including Gangwon Province and Jeju Island. He pledged sufficient government support for uniformed service members and promised to improve the assistance system for those wounded during military service. Lee emphasized that punishing those who betrayed the community is also an important duty. Through a newly promulgated law, the government will investigate and forfeit illegally accumulated assets of pro-Japan collaborators from the colonial era.
