President Moon: "Solidarity and Cooperation... Preparing for the 'Post-Corona' Era with the Unified Power of the People" (Update)

60th Anniversary Ceremony of the April 19 Revolution

President Moon Jae-in delivers a commemorative speech at the 60th anniversary of the April 19 Revolution ceremony held at the National April 19 Democratic Cemetery in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 19th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in said on the 19th, "The government will prepare a new normal and a new world order for the 'post-COVID' era with the unified power of the people."

On the morning of the same day at 10 a.m., President Moon attended the 60th anniversary ceremony of the April 19 Revolution hosted by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs at the National April 19 Democratic Cemetery in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul. Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, he said, "We must overcome not only the virus but also the worst economic crisis since the foreign exchange crisis together," adding, "Solidarity and cooperation among the people are also necessary to revive the economy."

He emphasized, "The key is to protect jobs," and said, "It is absolutely necessary for labor and management to come together and cooperate to protect jobs." He continued, "The government will prioritize support for companies that maintain employment through labor-management agreements," and "Along with that, the government will further strengthen employment safety nets and social safety nets for those who have lost their jobs."

President Moon urged, "I hope the National Assembly and the people will unite their hearts to overcome the economic crisis that came along with the infectious disease," and stressed, "Expanding beyond the political and civic democracy pursued by the April 19 Revolution to a substantive democracy that guarantees the lives of all citizens is the spirit of the April 19 Revolution that we must realize today."

This was President Moon's first attendance at the April 19 Revolution ceremony since taking office. He said, "The April 19 Revolution is the firm root of democracy in the Republic of Korea," and "It was a revolution that judged the power that violated 'sovereignty of the people' and broke down political and social oppression." He added, "The 'time of dictatorship' that began with the May 16 military coup was long and dark, but the 'April 19 democratic ideals' were ultimately engraved in our constitution."

President Moon particularly noted, "The April 19 Revolution was the first democratization movement among countries that gained independence after World War II and the beginning of student movements worldwide," and said, "The government will specially honor its significance and promote the registration of the April 19 Revolution records as a UNESCO Memory of the World heritage to leave the spirit of the April 19 Revolution to humanity." The government is aiming to register the cultural heritage by 2022.

He also stated, "The government will discover the merits of April 19 Revolution participants who have not yet been recognized and engrave and honor each of their names in the history of democracy," and "By 2022, we will expand the insufficient burial capacity of the National April 19 Democratic Cemetery to honorably accommodate all merit recipients."

This ceremony was held to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the April 19 Revolution, the first citizen revolution after liberation that rose to defend democracy, and to honor the sacrifices and contributions of the April 19 patriots. The ceremony was attended by April 19 patriots and their families, as well as key figures from various sectors, and proceeded in the order of ▲flower offering and incense burning ▲national ceremony ▲screening of April 19 videos ▲awarding of patriots ▲presidential commemorative speech ▲commemorative performance ▲singing of the April 19 song.

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