Seoul mayor meets with veterans, vows support expansion
To mark Patriots and Veterans Month in June, the Seoul Metropolitan Government held a roundtable Wednesday with veterans' group representatives, presenting updates on the city's major commemorative infrastructure projects and welfare policies for those who served.
Wednesday's meeting, held at Seoul City Hall, brought together Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon and 15 representatives from major veterans groups based in the city, including Ryu Jae-sik of the Korean War Veterans Association, Kim Bu-gil of the Vietnam Veterans Association Korea and Kim Dae-ha of the Heritage of Korean Independence.
During Wednesday's meeting, Oh shared the city's vision for building a second Veterans Hall in Yongsan-gu, central Seoul, complementing the existing facility in Mapo-gu, western Seoul.
According to a city government official, the existing facility in western Seoul has reached full capacity and can only accommodate four of the city's 15 veterans' organizations.
The new hall is scheduled to be built by 2030 and will include not just offices for veterans' groups but also exhibition halls and educational facilities for veterans' organizations to use.
The Seoul Mayor also presented updates on the Garden of Gratitude, a symbolic space dedicated to honoring the veterans and countries that participated in the 1950-53 Korean War.
Set to be constructed at Gwanghwamun Square by 2027 to honor Korean veterans and the 22 countries that supported South Korea during the Korean War, Oh added that the city government aims to remember the sacrifices of veterans who 'laid the foundation for South Korea's prosperity' and 'create a space that conveys gratitude for their contributions.'
'This space will serve as a place where visitors and passersby can remember and reflect on the value veterans hold in our everyday lives,' said Oh.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government currently supports over 100,000 veterans and their families. This year, the city government has allocated more than 100 billion won ($72.9 million) to bolster veterans' welfare services.
Among key programs receiving increased funding is the city's Honorary Funeral Service for veterans, which provides ceremonial support at the request of bereaved families, including escorts, the presentation of the national flag and condolence visits.
Previously, the program's reach was limited to around 40 percent of applicants due to budget and personnel constraints, but the city government plans to raise this coverage rate to 80 percent through its supplementary budget.
The city government also announced Wednesday that it will expand its financial assistance to veterans and their families.
Starting this year, the monthly subsidy given to individuals who were a part of the April 19 Revolution and veterans who were injured after taking part in wars was raised from 100,000 won to 150,000 won. The subsidy given to veterans aged 80 or older also increased from 150,000 won to 200,000 won.
As part of its commemorative efforts, Oh also added that the city will distribute one-time condolence payments in June.
Subsidies of up to 100,000 won will be given to families with more than two veterans who died from the war and veterans with severe disabilities, and subsidies of 50,000 won will be given to veterans aged over 80 as well as those part of low-income groups and the spouses of injured or fallen soldiers.
The city government will also provide institutional support of up to 3 million won to the Veterans Health Service Medical Center and 300,000 won to each veteran's group branch across Seoul.
'This year marks the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation and the 75th anniversary of the Korean War,' said Oh. 'Many who are present (in the roundtable meeting) today are the very people who safeguarded Korea in times of crisis. Seoul will continue to honor their sacrifices through policies and commemorative spaces that ensure their heroism is remembered and respected in their everyday lives.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
an hour ago
- Korea Herald
HD Hyundai Construction Equipment partners with Indonesian mining firm Hasnur Group
HD Hyundai Construction Equipment said Thursday that it has joined forces with Hasnur Group, a major mining firm in Indonesia, to develop mining solutions as the Korean company looks to expand its global presence. Representatives from both companies signed a memorandum of understanding at HD Hyundai Construction Equipment's recently completed Ulsan Campus. The new facility is a smart factory with an annual production capacity of 15,000 units, up from the previous 9,600 units, following an investment of about 200 billion won ($145 million) for the revamp. Under the partnership, HD Hyundai Construction Equipment and Hasnur Group will work together in a range of areas, including the supply of mining equipment and development of electric excavators. The company plans to begin its mining equipment supply with large wheel loaders. Using data from the mining site, the company will propose ways to manage on-site operations more efficiently. The Korean firm will also look to develop a 'total mining solution' that covers equipment supply, maintenance and repair, and site management systems. HD Hyundai Construction Equipment said it expects to accelerate the development of electric equipment such as excavators, working with the Indonesian company to carry out on-site tests for the new equipment. Indonesia, which has one of the world's biggest reserves and production volumes of nickel, as well as other strategic minerals such as tin and cobalt, has seen steadily rising demand for mining equipment. Global market intelligence firm 6Wresearch estimates Indonesia's mining equipment market to be worth $2.5 billion this year and projects it to grow at an annual rate of 8.1 percent through 2031. 'The collaboration will go beyond simply equipment supply and serve as a turning point to secure on-site operation solutions for mines and automated ecosystems,' said Choi Cheol-gon, CEO of HD Hyundai Construction Equipment. 'Based on this, we will become a digital-based total solution company in the global mining market.'
Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Prolonged Mideast conflict may negatively affect Korean exports to region: KOTRA
The ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran could negatively affect South Korea's exports to the Middle East should the crisis last for an extended period, a business assessment report showed Thursday. According to the report by the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, the latest Middle East crisis has already triggered concerns over oil supply disruptions, with very large crude carrier freight rates rising more than 20 percent amid fears that oil prices could exceed $100 per barrel. KOTRA noted that if the conflict continues, South Korea's positive export trends seen this year to Israel, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria could reverse. According to the agency, exports to these countries had risen by as little as 10 percent and by up to 140 times from a year earlier during the January-May period. "While these markets account for a relatively small portion of the country's total exports, extended instability could disrupt regional demand," the report noted. KOTRA said it has launched an emergency response task force to monitor energy and logistics developments. The agency also plans to maintain close coordination with its overseas offices to support Korean exporters operating in the region. (Yonhap)
![[단독] 이종석 국정원장 후보자, '서해피격·강제북송' 입장 묻자 "취임 시 살펴볼 것"](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwimg.heraldcorp.com%2Fnews%2Fcms%2F2025%2F06%2F18%2Fnews-p.v1.20250618.d960f377159049d992118eb4cf3f17c5_T1.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
Korea Herald
19 hours ago
- Korea Herald
[단독] 이종석 국정원장 후보자, '서해피격·강제북송' 입장 묻자 "취임 시 살펴볼 것"
"친북적이란 평가 절대 동의 못해" [코리아헤럴드=김아린 기자] 이종석 국가정보원장 후보자가 '서해 공무원 피살 사건'과 '탈북 어민 강제북송 사건'을 검토할 의사를 나타낸 것으로 알려졌다. 18일 코리아헤럴드가 확인한 인사청문 자료에서 이 후보자는 피살 공무원과 탈북 어민 사건 관련한 입장을 묻는 질의에 "세종연구소 연구원으로 재직하던 시기에 발생한 사건으로 정확한 사실관계를 알지 못한다"면서, "국정원장으로 취임하게 된다면 관련 내용을 살펴보겠다"고 짧게 답했다. 2020년 9월 서해에서 북한군의 총격에 숨진 해양수산부 공무원 이대준 씨 사건과 관련한 재판은 2023년 3월 첫 공판 후 지금까지 이어지고 있다. 2019년 11월 귀순 의사를 밝힌 북한 어민들이 북송된 사건 관련한 2심 재판은 지난 6월 시작했다. 인사청문 자료를 보면 이 후보자는 자신의 대북관과 관련해 일각에서 제기한 의혹을 전면 부인했다. 그는 "북한과 한반도를 심층 연구했다는 이유로 친북적이라고 하는 평가에는 절대 동의할 수 없다"고 밝혔다. 이어 "한반도 비핵화를 통한 평화 체계를 구축하기 위해서는 북한·남북관계·동북아정세 등에 대한 깊은 이해와 통찰이 필요하다고 생각한다"고 설명했다. 김정은 북한 국무위원장의 통치 스타일에 대해 이 후보자는 김 국무위원장의 할아버지인 김일성 주석의 방식과 유사하다는 평가를 했다. 그는 "김정은은 주민 접촉과 현장 지휘 및 공개 회의를 선호한다는 점에서 김일성의 통치 스타일과 일맥상통하는 측면이 있다"며, "김정일이 밀실 통치를 선호하고 대중과의 스킨십을 자제하며 가족 등 사적 영역 공개를 꺼렸던 것과는 큰 차이가 있다"고 했다. 이 후보자는 윤석열 정부 때 효력이 정지된 9·19 남북군사합의가 다시 복원돼야 한다고 봤다. 그는 "9.19 군사합의의 복원이 가장 바람직하다고 생각한다"면서 "다만, 복원이 어려울 경우 그에 준하는 남북한 간의 군사적 긴장완화를 위한 합의 조치가 필요하다고 생각한다"고 했다. 이 후보자는 윤 정부의 대중외교에 대해서도 비판적인 입장을 보였다. 그는 "지난 정부는 이념과 가치의 관점으로만 중국을 바라보면서 불필요한 갈등을 빚는 등 한중관계의 안정적 관리에 미흡한 측면이 있었다"고 지적했다. 그러면서 "대중관계에 있어 양국 간 공통이익 분야를 중심으로 교류와 협력을 심화하되, 우리 국익 침해에 대해서는 원칙을 갖고 대처해야 한다"고 했다. 이 후보자의 인사청문회는 19일에 열린다. (arin@ [Exclusive] Moon-era inter-Korean military pact needs to be restored: spy chief nominee South Korea's spy chief nominee Lee Jong-seok said he believes the now-suspended inter-Korean military pact, reached between former President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un in 2018, should be restored. According to his response to the National Assembly's questions submitted Wednesday, a day ahead of his confirmation hearing, Lee said that reinstating the pact, which was suspended by North Korea in 2023 and by the Yoon administration the next year, was "most desirable." "It is my opinion that restoring the Sept. 19 military agreement is most desirable," he said, in a written response, accessed by The Korea Herald. "But if it is not possible to restore the agreement, I think it is necessary to take commensurate measures to reduce military tensions between the two Koreas." Lee was also critical of Yoon's China diplomacy. Lee said the previous administration "did not adequately manage the relations between South Korea and China, viewing China only through the lens of ideology and causing unnecessary conflicts." Lee said that when it comes to South Korea's relations with China, a key trade partner, the two countries "pursue areas of common interest." But he added that when South Korea's "national interests are infringed upon," the country needed to "take measures based on principles." Lee denied allegations, raised by some within the opposition People Power Party, of his having "pro-North Korea views." "I absolutely cannot agree with the claims that I am pro-North Korea only because I have studied North Korea and the Korean Peninsula in depth," he said. "I believe that in order to achieve denuclearization and build a lasting peace in the Korean Peninsula, one must have a deep understanding of, and insight into North Korea and the surrounding region." On North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's governing style, Lee said he took after his grandfather, Kim Il-sung. "Kim Jong-un's governing style is more in line with Kim Il-sung's in that he favors more contact with the people, on-the-ground leadership, and public meetings," Lee said. "This is different from his father Kim Jong-il who preferred to rule behind closed doors and refrained from interacting with the public." When asked about where he stands on the 2020 shooting murder of a South Korean government official by North Korean troops, Lee said he was "not aware of all the facts" as he was at the time a scholar at a policy institute. "If I am appointed as the director of the National Intelligence Service, I will look into the matter," Lee said. In 2022, the NIS filed a criminal complaint against its former director Park Jie-won, who is now a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker, for allegedly destroying the spy agency's confidential materials related to the South Korean official's death. The criminal trial for Park and other high-level officials at the time is still underway. Lee awaits a confirmation hearing by the National Assembly, slated for Thursday.
