[Exclusive] Cheongwadae Considering Cancellation of Next Month's 'March 1st Movement Ceremony'

Cheong Wa Dae Panorama / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] The Blue House is considering canceling the '101st Anniversary of the March 1st Movement Commemoration Ceremony' scheduled for next month. As the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) has triggered an emergency, large-scale government-hosted events are also expected to be canceled one after another.

According to multiple Blue House officials on the 21st, it was confirmed that a plan to cancel the March 1st commemoration ceremony was reported at a meeting attended by President Moon Jae-in and senior aides that morning. However, since there are major issues between Korea and Japan, such as the termination of the Korea-Japan Military Information Protection Agreement (GSOMIA), an alternative to switch the ceremony to an online format was also discussed. Additionally, it was reported that President Moon’s diplomatic schedule planned in the near future is also highly likely to be entirely canceled.

As of that morning, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Korea increased by 52, totaling 156. This is the third highest after China and Japan. The increase is significant, with over 50 new cases reported for two consecutive days. There are concerns that some foreign countries may impose 'entry bans on Koreans.'

On the 12th, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun advised at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting that "it is not advisable to unconditionally cancel or postpone events hosted by central government ministries or local governments due to COVID-19," and recommended proceeding with scheduled events as planned. However, just nine days later, as confirmed cases rapidly increased and deaths occurred, the government’s stance appears to be reversing sharply due to the worsening situation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs has also decided to cancel the '60th Anniversary of the February 28 Democratic Movement Commemoration Ceremony' that was scheduled to be held in Daegu on the 28th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.