| Remarks by President Roh Moo-hyun on the 51st Memorial Day [June 06,2006] | |
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Fellow citizens, patriotic veterans and bereaved families,
On the 51st Memorial Day today, I pay tribute to the lofty sacrifices of our fallen patriotic forefathers, who died for the country, and pray for the repose of their souls. I also offer my deep respect and gratitude to all patriotic veterans and bereaved families.
We can attribute the freedom, peace and prosperity we enjoy today as we cultivate a precious future in an independent country to the invaluable sacrifices of our ancestors.
We will remember and honor our patriotic forefathers forever. In addition, we will model ourselves on their patriotism and spirit of sacrifice and put those values into practice and teach them to our descendents. We will do our best to treat the patriots and their families as well as bereaved families with honor.
Fellow citizens,
At the top of those pledges made here now, I would like to add one more.
We must not repeat the miserable history that has taken a heavy toll on the Korean people. We have neglected to learn the lessons of the history of heartbreaking sacrifices by our patriotic forefathers. Even if we took some lessons, we failed to put them into practice, making the same mistakes again and again. We must not repeat our shameful history.
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We had to suffer the disgrace of our country’s failure 100 years ago. The people had to suffer through the painful period of hunger and oppression. Numerous patriots had to forsake their families, leave their homes and ultimately sacrifice their lives in a distant land to fight for the country.
This is attributable to the leaders of this land who failed to strengthen the nation’s power but instead carried on a divisive and incessant fight among themselves at that time. It was also the result of the people having been oppressed so that they could not stand on their own feet at a time when they needed to unite their potential to save the failing country.
Some say that it was because of individual self-interest and greed. Others say it was because of dogmatic ideology that did not tolerate differences at all. I think probably both were responsible.
Even though Korea was liberated from Japanese colonial rule, it was divided into two mainly because of the international Cold War order. Consequently, it was embroiled in an internecine war causing great tribulation. The great misfortune could have been avoided if the whole nation had been united as one to cope with difficulties. I must not be the only one to feel this way.
Koreans raised a single voice for the national spirit, self-reliant independence and unity, but excluded each other without tolerance and fought even at the risk of their lives. The long-term dictatorship, which even utilized the treacherous pro-Japanese group to stay in power, eventually brought about the sacrifices in the Student Revolution of April 19, 1960.
The unfortunate history littered with the May 16 Military Coup, October Revitalizing Reforms and military-influenced dictatorial regimes resulted in the tragedy of the Gwangju Democratization Movement of May 18, 1980.
We commemorated the March First Independence Movement Day, Constitutional Day and Liberation Day, but we failed to study their histories or practice what we learned.
Fellow Citizens,
Now is the time to put an end to this kind of unfortunate history. We have to overcome divisiveness and rally national strength as one.
To this end, we have to respect the rights of the others and recognize differences of opinions and interests. We should try to persuade through dialogue and compromise by making concessions. Even when we cannot reach an agreement, we should not try to exclude or destroy others. From now on, let us think it over again before we engage in total opposition or life-and-death opposition. We have to draw conclusions in accordance with regulations and accommodate the results.
This is democracy. Self-righteousness and stubbornness as well as exclusion and destruction are the enemy of democracy. They are obstacles to democracy.
We should transform the politics of either enemy or friend into a culture of dialogue, compromise and competition. Just as enterprises compete in the market with the quality of their products and services, politics, too, should aim at bringing about an age where competition is based on policies and services.
Fellow Koreans,
We have to resolve once and for all the emotional entanglement stemming from the past history of confrontation.
Those who antagonized each other over the right way to serve the country in the past are buried here together in this Korean National Cemetery as well as in the April 19 Student Uprising Cemetery, the May 18 Democratization Movement Cemetery and other cemeteries around the country. We exalt and commemorate the accomplishments of all these ancestors. We may say the country has realized systemic reconciliation thanks to relevant laws.
But genuine harmony and unity that comes from deep in the hearts of the people has yet to be realized. There still remains a tendency that those who have different views are branded with different ideological colors. It is also a fact that the rage and grudges of those who were sacrificed unjustly have yet to be disentangled.
It is about time that this problem, too, was overcome. Let us reflect on the wrongs of bygone years and apologize sincerely for that. Let us forgive and become reconciled. In the process, let us all become one, capture the national strength and build a new nation.
By doing so, we will not repeat our unfortunate history and our shameful history but instead forge a just and proud history.
Once more, I pay tribute to our patriots who gave their lives for the country and became our spiritual national guardians and pray for their repose.
Thank you very much. | |