Look beyond military to secure peace: Lee

Korea Herald

7 hours ago

Liberal president visits Gwangju to seek reconciliation over thorny issues
President Lee Jae Myung said Wednesday that military tensions between the two Koreas should give way to peace on the Korean Peninsula without a fight, adding that bygone are the days when South Korea relied on military strength for peace.
"The era of relying solely on military power to safeguard the country is over," Lee noted in a Facebook post Wednesday commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Korean War outbreak on June 25, 1950. "It is more important to win without a fight than to win through a fight."
Lee stressed that military standoffs on the Korean Peninsula will no longer contribute to peace, which he said is critical for the economic rebound of South Korea.
"Making a country that will never experience war again is the right way (for a country) to reward people for their sacrifices and dedication," Lee said.
Honoring the fallen Korean War heroes, Lee pointed to the fact that South Korea has become the first country in the world since the launch of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to have transitioned from an aid recipient to a donor.
"We rose again, held onto hope and overcame our wounds to move toward a better tomorrow," Lee said. "South Korea is regarded as a role model for developing countries around the world."
Also, the country is now considered one of the top 10 economic powerhouses, rising from the ashes of the war that ended in 1953, Lee added.
"South Korea of today would have never been created without the sacrifice and dedication of the soldiers and veterans who defended the nation at the war front, their bereaved families and all the people who lived through the scars of war," Lee noted.
"I feel regretful that I could not adequately compensate and honor those who made extraordinary sacrifices to safeguard the nation," Lee also said, pledging to provide additional support for their dedication to the country.
Lee skipped the commemoration ceremony of the 75th anniversary of the Korean War held in Daejeon on Wednesday morning. Lee's predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol attended the ceremony of the previous year — the only time during his presidency — and denounced North Korea's "despicable, irrational provocation" against South Korea regarding its growing military ties with Russia and its move to send trash balloons to South Korea.
Instead, Lee went to visit the Sorokdo National Hospital, dedicated to the treatment of Hansen's disease patients. There, Lee acknowledged the patients' effort to preserve human dignity and cherish the community values, adding that people's prejudice toward the patients must be erased, according to the presidential office. Lee was the first South Korean president in history to have visited the facility.
Later on Wednesday, Lee visited Gwangju in the southwestern region to address controversies related to the relocation of an air base to nearby Muan-gun in South Jeolla Province.
Through a livestreamed debate held at the National Asian Culture Center in Gwangju, Lee hosted the meeting between the governor of the South Jeolla Province, the mayor of Gwangju and the county head of Muan-gun.
The meeting revolved around the thorny issue of Gwangju's proposed relocation of the base. The long-awaited move has been touted as the chance for Gwangju to take advantage of the opportunities for land development.