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Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Korea Herald
80 citizens, 80 letters: The people delivering Lee their ‘mandate'
President Lee Jae Myung, who began his term with a brief inauguration a day after the June 3 election, was on Friday evening to receive 80 letters of appointment from people representing the diversity and history of Korean society, in the first ceremony of its kind aimed at underscoring the legitimacy of his mandate from the people. Eighty people, selected to represent each of the 80 years since liberation in 1945, are to take part in the ceremony coinciding with Liberation Day at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. Each representative will step onto a circular stage and place a personally written letter of appointment inside a large symbolic cube set at the center in an event beginning at 8 p.m. Four particular individuals — Mok Jang-gyun, a descendant of an independence fighter, Lee Guk-jong, director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital, Lee Yeon-soo, CEO of NCSoft's artificial intelligence division, and film director Ha Ga-young — will be the last to place their letters. Among the 80, several figures stand out for their roles in key historical and contemporary moments. Lee Kyung-pil, 74, represents the year 1950 as one of five infants born aboard a US military vessel during the Hungnam evacuation at the start of the Korean War. Representing the year 1960 is Lee Hae-hak, an 80-year-old pastor who took part in the April Revolution that brought down President Syngman Rhee's authoritarian rule. In 2016, professional Go player Lee Sedol, now 42, drew international attention for his competition against Google's artificial intelligence program AlphaGo. The list also includes married couple Yoo Choong-won and Kim Sook-jung, honored for physically blocking an armored vehicle during former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law declaration in December 2024. Kim Joon-young and Sa Gong Hye-ran, who gave birth to Korea's first quintuplets in nearly 40 years last year, were recognized for representing hope and social sustainability amid a deepening demographic crisis. The ceremony will be attended by former President Moon Jae-in and his wife, as well as the family of the late President Roh Moo-hyun. Religious leaders and public figures across various sectors are also expected to attend. Former Presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, along with the spouses of late Presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo, were invited, but will not attend, citing health reasons. Members of the main opposition People Power Party and the minor New Reform Party said they would also not attend, in protest of Lee's special pardon of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk and former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Yoon Mi-hyang, who was convicted of embezzling donations intended for the victims of sex slavery during Japan's colonial rule. A total of 3,500 members of the public, selected through an online application process, are to be present. The ceremony is to be broadcast live on KBS from 8 p.m. According to presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, the 80 representatives were chosen not only for notable achievements in areas spanning democracy, economic development, science, culture and sports, but also for representing the lived experiences of each generation. 'Together, they embody the everyday resilience and collective progress of the Korean people,' Kang said in a press briefing Thursday.
Korea Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
S. Korea to mark 80th Liberation Day with commemorative ceremony, formal inauguration of Lee
South Korea will commemorate its National Liberation Day on Friday with a series of major events in central Seoul: a morning ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, and an inauguration ceremony for President Lee Jae Myung in the evening. At 10 a.m., the commemoration of the 80th National Liberation Day will take place at the Sejong Center for Performing Arts. Around 2,500 people, including descendants of independence activists, senior government officials, diplomatic missions to Korea as well as representatives of various social groups, will be in attendance. Eighty national flags of Korea will be displayed on stage in commemoration of the 80th anniversary, while the opening performance, 'Arirang Rhapsody,' will blend traditional Korean music, orchestra and choral elements in symbolism of the country's growth over eight decades. The descendants of 80 independence activists will also join the stage during the performance. Another celebratory performance will also take place in the form of a theatrical production, showcasing Korea's cultural strength envisioned by late independence leader Kim Gu. The program will also feature the Pledge of Allegiance, accompanied by actor Cho Jin-woong, as well as a commemorative address and an award ceremony where Independence Merit Awards will be handed out to the independence activists' descendants. A total of 311 people have been named as recipients this year, and five of those recipients will receive the award in person at the ceremony. In the evening, an inauguration ceremony for President Lee will take place at Gwanghwamun Square in Jongno-gu, central Seoul. Lee, who assumed the presidency on June 4, took the position without the customary transition period or ceremony. According to the Ministry of Interior and Safety, the event will bring together leading figures across various fields in Korean society — including business, culture, education, labor, science and technology and women's affairs — alongside senior government officials and politicians, and foreign diplomats based in Korea. Some 3,500 citizens who applied in advance will also be in attendance. Eighty citizen representatives, including trauma surgeon and director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital Lee Guk-jong and go master Lee Se-dol will take the stage to hand the letter of appointment to Lee. Each representative will deliver the letter, which contains their hopes and wishes for Korea and its future. The event will be followed by the president's remarks, expressing gratitude and commitment for his remaining career in office. The evening ceremony will also consist of cultural performances, featuring a musical performance by veteran singer Lee Eun-mi and a performance of 'Golden' from the "K-pop Demon Hunters" soundtrack by Izna. Both opposition parties — the People Power Party and New Reform Party — stated that they will not be attending Lee's inauguration ceremony. Representatives from both parties were quoted in local media reports saying that they found 'no clear purpose' for the appointment ceremony and said it 'does not align with the spirit of National Liberation Day.'
Korea Herald
13-06-2025
- Health
- Korea Herald
As Cabinet picks go public, can next health minister resolve med school crisis?
For the first time, the South Korean government is allowing ministers and vice ministers to be directly nominated by the public — with the task of finding a health minister who can normalize government relations with doctors at the center of attention. High-profile names have been put forward, with last year's bruising standoff over medical school quotas and health care reform still not fully resolved. Among the leading contenders for the health minister position include trauma surgeon and director of the Armed Forces Daejeon Hospital Lee Guk-jong, whose name was also the first to emerge in the public recommendation process, under the official endorsement of the Busan Medical Association. Lee, who acquired the nickname of the 'hero of the Gulf of Aden' when he saved the life of Seok Hae-gyun, a Korean ship captain who was shot by Somali pirates during an anti-piracy operation in 2011. In 2017, Lee was also credited with leading the emergency treatment of a North Korean soldier who sustained multiple gunshot wounds. A vocal critic of former President Yoon Suk Yeol's medical school reforms, Lee is regarded as one of Korea's key authorities in trauma surgery, spending years on the front lines of essential health care, such as serving as head of the Southern Gyeonggi Trauma Center. Within the medical community, Lee is seen as a practitioner who understands frontline realities and could bring hands-on insight into policymaking, with his high public favorability also considered as a major asset. In a statement Friday, the Medical Professors Association of Korea said the need to appoint a qualified health minister is more important than ever at a time when "the foundations of medical education and the health care system are collapsing." "Before it is too late, we must halt the collapse of the national health care system and restore it," the statement read. "Resolving the current situation is extremely urgent and should be among the highest priorities of national policy." Others step into spotlight Former head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency Jeong Eun-kyeong is also considered as a strong contender for the health minister post. Jeong, who led Korea's response during the COVID-19 pandemic as the country's disease control chief, continues to hold high public trust over her past leadership. However, whether Jeong will take the offer is unclear. According to local media reports, Jeong has expressed a desire to return to academia multiple times and has reportedly declined recent offers. In the political sphere, Jeon Hyun-hee, a senior member of the Democratic Party of Korea, has also been recently mentioned. While Lee Guk Jeong is known for his strengths in frontline medical care and Jeong Eun-kyeong is known for her leadership during the pandemic, Jeon is seen to be something like a 'hybrid' candidate, with background experience in law and political affairs. A former dentist and lawyer, Jeon previously served as the chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, demonstrating experience in public administration as well as medicine. According to Lee Jae-myung's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung on Wednesday, up to 11,324 referrals have been submitted to the presidential office by the public as of Tuesday. The ministerial post for the Ministry of Health and Welfare drew the second-highest number of nominations, while the Justice Minister position saw the largest number of nominations. Other names reportedly under consideration include Yang Sung-il, former first vice minister of health, who is viewed to hold strengths in executing welfare policies. Rep. Kang Cheong-hee, head of the Democratic Party's special health committee and professor at Yonsei University's College of Medicine, is also cited for his extensive experience with the National Health Insurance Service and the Health Ministry. The presidential office will be taking recommendations for Cabinet ministers, vice ministers and heads of state-run institutions until June 16. Recommendations filed to the National Human Resources Database will then be organized into a shortlist by the presidential office through a vetting process, in which the presidential secretary for civil service discipline will participate.
