President Lee: Honoring Fallen Service Members Is a 'Social Duty'

President Lee Jae Myung said Saturday that honoring and paying due respects to those killed while serving the country is a social duty the nation should uphold. Speaking at a Memorial Day ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery, Lee addressed a gathering that included 3,000 uniformed service members, government officials, national merit recipients, and their families. Among the attendees were the family members of a 34-year-old Coast Guard officer killed last year during a rescue operation, and the families of two service members who died in an Army helicopter crash in February.

"Commemorating the spirit of the patriots and paying them full respect is a social duty that we should faithfully uphold," the president said. He also highlighted the enactment next year of a law expanding benefits for the families of independence fighters, adding that the government is fulfilling its promise to provide financial support to the spouses of war veterans. Lee reaffirmed his commitment to expanding the network of veterans hospitals into remote areas, including Gangwon Province and Jeju Island.

"Respect for devotion is the driving force that sustains and advances the national community," Lee said, adding the government "will not fail to reward such noble devotion."

The ceremony came during a week of commemorative events. On Friday, Lee took part in a joint repatriation ceremony at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, south of Seoul, for the return of the remains of 10 fallen South Korean service members from Hawaii and the repatriation of three U.S. soldiers' remains. Yonhap reported Lee called the joint efforts by South Korea and the United States to recover and return troops killed during the 1950-53 Korean War the "most powerful testament" to the alliance.

"Today's repatriation marks a meaningful milestone that further deepens and solidifies the South Korea-U.S. alliance, built on the blood and sacrifice of war veterans," he said. "The efforts to recover and return not only our own fallen service members but also those of our ally to their families is the most powerful testament to the alliance forged in blood."

Lee described the repatriation as a "pledge" by both nations to remember the war heroes who fought for freedom and peace, and the "highest tribute" that can be paid to honor their sacrifices. "It is our obligation to history to ensure their complete return," he said, stressing that it is the "duty of the state and the reason for its existence" to make sure their service and sacrifice are remembered forever.

"We will never stop DNA analysis and efforts to identify and trace the remains until the very last hero's identity is confirmed so that those who defended the nation may rest in peace in their homeland," Lee added. "We will do our utmost to ensure that those who devoted themselves to the community receive the honor and respect they fully deserve."

Coverage Comparison

Yonhap News, South Korea's leading wire service, provided multiple reports on President Lee's Memorial Day remarks and related events. One report focused on his speech at Seoul National Cemetery, while another detailed his comments at the repatriation ceremony. A third report covered Prime Minister Kim Min-seok's remarks at a separate ceremony awarding state decorations to patriots and their families.

The reports consistently conveyed the government's commitment to honoring those who served and died for the country, with direct quotes from both Lee and Kim. The coverage also noted the government's ongoing efforts to support veterans, their families, and the families of independence fighters, as well as its work to recover and identify the remains of fallen troops.

Key Claims

  • President Lee Jae Myung attended a Memorial Day ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery, where he said honoring those killed in service is a social duty.
  • Lee highlighted the enactment next year of a law expanding benefits for the families of independence fighters and reaffirmed government support for war veterans' spouses.
  • Lee pledged to expand veterans hospitals to remote areas, including Gangwon Province and Jeju Island.
  • At a separate repatriation ceremony, Lee called the joint U.S.-South Korea efforts to recover war remains the "most powerful testament" to the alliance.
  • Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, at a ceremony awarding state decorations, said the government will ensure patriots and fallen heroes are properly recognized and honored, and that it will look after the lives of state-honored patriots and their families more robustly.