Gwangju Mayor Lee Yong-seop: "Our Wish Even Now Is 'Unification'"

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] “We pay tribute to the noble sacrifices of the patriotic martyrs who gave their lives to protect the freedom and peace of this land, and we deeply thank the dedication of the veterans.”

Lee Yong-seop, Mayor of Gwangju Metropolitan City, issued a statement on the 24th ahead of the 70th anniversary of the Korean War.

Mayor Lee said, “The Korean War left us with indelible wounds and pain, but we rose again. We have established ourselves as the most dynamic and exemplary democratic nation, and once again demonstrated our resilience in responding to COVID-19.”

Mayor Lee emphasized, “However, the current inter-Korean relations are extremely serious and precarious. The inter-Korean relations, which had entered a reconciliation phase through meetings and communication between the leaders of the South and North, have once again encountered difficulties, and the threat of war is looming over the entire Korean Peninsula. We must never repeat the tragedies of the past under any circumstances.”

He stated, “It is our historic mission to firmly protect this country preserved by the blood of our ancestors and to establish a permanent peace regime. The promise of peace on the Korean Peninsula, made by the 80 million people of the South and North through the June 15th North-South Joint Declaration, must be upheld.”

He continued, “The Republic of Korea of peace and prosperity, and the city of Gwangju of democracy, human rights, and peace will take the lead and support this cause. Gwangju, a righteous city that has always turned the tide of history through self-sacrifice by following the spirit of the times and the greater good whenever the country faced difficulties, will lead the way in repaying the sacrifices of the patriotic martyrs and veterans. Even now, our wish is ‘unification.’”

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