President Moon Visits Arlington: "It Is the Nation's Duty to Return the Soul of the Last U.S. Military Serviceman" (Comprehensive Report 2)

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in, who is visiting the United States for the Korea-US summit, officially began his schedule by visiting Arlington National Cemetery, a symbol of the Korea-US alliance, to pay respects to veterans who fought in the Korean War and to the Unknown Soldiers.

On the 20th (local time), as his first schedule in the US, President Moon visited Arlington National Cemetery, where many Korean War veterans are buried, laid a wreath, and presented a commemorative plaque, stating, "We are taking measures to find the souls of every last US military veteran and return them to the United States and their families."

President Moon said, "Korea is still excavating the remains of US soldiers who were not found during the Korean War and repatriating them to the US as they are discovered," adding, "I believe there are still many remains that have not been found, especially in North Korean territory, where more remains may be buried."

The director of the Durham-Aguilera National Cemetery responded, "When remains that have not yet been repatriated to the US are excavated and their identities are confirmed, families feel that the repatriation process is complete," and added, "Therefore, we are doing our best to take good care of the families of all veterans."

President Moon emphasized, "It is the nation's duty to find and return every last person who sacrificed and devoted themselves for the country and to provide them with the highest honors."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

This is the first time President Moon, who has visited the US four times since taking office for Korea-US summits, has visited Arlington National Cemetery.

At the entrance of the cemetery, a sign reads, "Welcome to Arlington National Cemetery, the most sacred site in the United States."

Following the guidance of the Washington District Commander, President Moon visited the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which honors unknown soldiers who died in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, and paid his respects.

Afterward, President Moon moved to the National Cemetery Memorial Hall exhibition room and donated a commemorative plaque inscribed with the phrase "Honoring the Unknown Soldiers and Their Noble Sacrifice." This follows the custom of displaying commemorative items during visits by foreign heads of state.

The commemorative plaque was made from relics of veterans who participated in the Korean War. It combines US badges, eagle emblem buttons, and star emblem buttons from veterans of the Masan Western Region Battle and the Dabudong Battle with an obelisk-shaped plaque.

Overall, the Blue House explained that the plaque uses traditional Korean patterns to symbolize that Korea's tradition and prosperity were achieved through the efforts of allied veterans.

President Moon met with US officials attending the wreath-laying ceremony and said, "I pay tribute to the US military who fought to protect the freedom and democracy of the Republic of Korea during the Korean War," and added, "Together with President Biden, we will further strengthen and comprehensively develop the Korea-US alliance," according to the Blue House.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Next, President Moon visited the Roosevelt Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, DC. He toured the site guided by the grandson of former President Roosevelt.

President Roosevelt is known for overcoming the Great Depression with the "New Deal" policy and is a figure both President Moon and President Biden admire. Since taking office, President Biden has hung a portrait of Roosevelt in his office and regards him as a role model. The situations of the two presidents, who face the challenges of overcoming the COVID-19 crisis and rebuilding the economy, closely resemble those of President Roosevelt.

This visit is also interpreted as an effort to find another common ground with President Biden, who, like President Moon, is a lawyer by profession and a Catholic believer.

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