Lee Hyo-jin covers the Bank of Korea, the banking industry and broader financial news. Her previous beats include foreign affairs, North Korea and general reporting on Korean society.
Veterans ministry vows to play bigger role in Korea-US alliance
Veterans Minister Park Min-shik speaks during a press conference held in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
By Lee Hyo-jin
By Lee Hyo-jin
Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-shik vowed, Thursday, that his ministry will play a bigger role in bolstering the Korea-U.S. alliance, with a slew of events slated for the latter half of this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement.
“The bilateral relationship with the United States, which is bound in blood, is the most important front in Korea's diplomacy. And our ministry has a lot of work to do regarding relations with the U.S.,” he said during a press conference held in Seoul, Thursday.
According to the ministry, a large-scale ceremony will be held on June 25 marking the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 and the U.N. Forces Participation Day on July 27, as well as the Turn Toward Busan ceremony on Nov. 11 commemorating the fallen United Nations soldiers who fought in the 1950-53 Korean War.
The ministry will also hold various receptions and events with 22 countries that participated in the Korean War supporting South Korea, including the U.S., Canada, Turkey, Australia and the Philippines.
Park added that the U.S. side is also willing to work together with his ministry, with specific plans for joint projects to be unveiled later.
Thursday's press conference was the first such event held since the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs was upgraded from sub-ministry status to a full-fledged ministry on June 5. Park, who has led the ministry since May 2022, was reappointed to continue his leadership role in the upgraded organization.
The upgrade of the ministry aligns with President Yoon Suk Yeol's commitment to better recognize and reward those who made sacrifices for the nation. During a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, the president stressed the value of patriotic service, saying, “Remembering and honoring the sacrifices and dedication of heroes is in the spirit of the Constitution.”
In a closed-door session of the meeting, Yoon reportedly agreed on the need to establish an overseas office for the veterans ministry in Washington, D.C.
During the press conference, Park vowed to increase efforts in recovering the remains of Ahn Jung-geun, an independence fighter who assassinated former Japanese Resident-General of Korea Ito Hirobumi in 1909, a year before Korea was annexed by the Japanese Empire.
The minister viewed that thawing bilateral relations with Japan will significantly help in finding the location of Ahn's burial. Seoul has been repeatedly demanding historical documents and other records on the burial of Ahn from Tokyo.
“Our relations with Japan have become more vibrant recently. Given the political weight of Ito Hirobumi in Japan's history, I'm sure that Japan does have data on the location of the burial,” Park said, stressing that his ministry will find ways to cooperate with the Japanese government on the issue.
He also told reporters that one of the top priorities of his ministry in the long term is renovating the Seoul National Cemetery located in Dongjak District, with an aim to make it more easily accessible to the public.