Published on March 27, 2026
President Lee Jae Myung emphasized peace on the Korean Peninsula and support for veterans during the 11th West Sea Defense Day ceremony at Daejeon National Cemetery on Friday. Notably, his speech made no mention of North Korea.
“Building a peaceful Korean Peninsula free from worries about war and hostility while firmly protecting our people and the territory of the Republic of Korea with strong military power is the task the heroes who defended the sea have left to us,” Lee stated.
Referring to the sacrifice of the 55 service members who died defending the waters, Lee expressed that it is now the nation’s responsibility to transform the region they protected into a foundation for peace and prosperity, rather than a boundary of conflict and tension. “Peace feeds people, peace is livelihoods, and peace is the best security,” he added.
The president underscored the importance of honoring those who served and sacrificed for their country. “In the history of the Republic of Korea, there has never been a spring we enjoyed for free, nor a single moment of peace that came of its own accord,” he noted. “This government, founded on popular sovereignty, will never leave you alone. We will remember you, record your sacrifice, and honor you as you deserve.”
Reiterating the principle of “special compensation for special sacrifice,” Lee announced an expansion of veterans’ benefits. This includes living support payments for spouses of combat veterans, increasing the number of contracted medical institutions for veterans to 2,000 nationwide by 2030, and including mandatory military service in seniority and wage calculations in the public sector.
The annual event honors those who died defending the western waters, including casualties from the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong, the sinking of the ROKS Cheonan naval corvette, and the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island. This marked Lee’s first appearance at the ceremony since taking office, and he had previously attended last year as the leader of the Democratic Party.
Leaders from both the ruling and opposition parties attended, including Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae, People Power Party leader Jang Dong-hyeok, and Reform Party leader Lee Jun-seok.
Former conservative representative Yoo Seong-min noted on social media that there was a striking absence of references to North Korea in the president’s speech. “He did not say who it was that caused these heroes to fall in the flower of their youth for their country,” Yoo commented. “It is hard to understand the attitude of a commander-in-chief who seems intent on avoiding provoking North Korea.”
Before the ceremony, Lee paid tribute at the graves of those killed in the Second Battle of Yeonpyeong and the Cheonan sinking. Families of the fallen shared their concerns with him; the father of a staff sergeant killed in the Cheonan sinking expressed a desire for unmarried service members to be buried with their parents, as current regulations only allow spouses to be interred together. “I’ll look into it,” Lee promised. The mother of a Marine killed during the Yeonpyeong shelling also conveyed her family’s grief, highlighting the cause of their loss as “because of the North Korean military, fundamentally.”
Additionally, Lee visited the grave of a Marine corporal who died in 2023 while searching for people missing after heavy rain damage, remarking, “Still, it is a relief that many things have returned to where they belong.”
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