By John Okeke
The Korean President, Moon Jae-in yesterday commemorated the 103rd anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement amidst hope for Korean people.
In his speech , the President said,”the 103rd March First Independence Movement Day ceremony is being held in conjunction with the opening of the National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government that finally stands tall by the side of the people. I am filled with very deep emotions.
“Over the past 100 years, we have built the democratic republic that was envisioned by the March First Independence Movement and the Provisional Government. All of us have raced forward without rest to create a free, egalitarian and unrepressed country, a peaceful and cultured nation.
“The March First Independence Movement and the Provisional Republic of Korea Government are a great legacy passed on to us by our forebears. Remembering and honoring the history of our democratic republic will make our democratic republic of today stronger.,” he said.
According to him, “Peace on the Korean Peninsula is a must for us to become stronger. There was no South and North Korea during the March First Independence Movement. Various forces participated in the Provisional Republic of Korea Government and formed a coalition government that consolidated the left and right.”
He continued, ” the main stem of the independence movement against imperial Japan was the great unity and solidarity of the people and their consolidation. The Korean Liberation Army, which was finally unified under the Provisional Republic of Korea Government, left a shining mark in the history of the independence movement against Japan. In November 1945, the leading figures from the Provisional Republic of Korea Government who had returned to their homeland made one last attempt to prevent national division. That unfinished effort has been passed on to us. One day, like the aspiration of the March First Independence Movement, the ardent cry for unification will be revived among the sons and daughters of the nameless protagonists of that day. First of all, what we must achieve is peace. The Korean War and the history of division we have suffered since then has taught us that only dialogue – not confrontation and hostility – can bring peace.
“At the time of its launch – amid the North Korean nuclear crisis – my Administration was able to achieve peace through dramatic dialogue. However, dialogue has been suspended, making our peace tenuous. Efforts for dialogue to sustain peace must continue. If we do not lose our determination – just as we dreamed of turning the PyeongChang Winter Olympics into a Peace Olympics amid the dark clouds of war – we can certainly bring denuclearization and permanent peace to the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and diplomacy. We will never again experience that pain from one hundred years ago. We will safeguard the survival and raise the pride of all Koreans through peace and prosper in peace.
“To cope with the common tasks and challenges of humanity, including infectious diseases, the climate crisis and natural disasters, the international community’s solidarity and cooperation have become all the more important.
Cooperation between Korea and Japan is the responsibility of the current generation for the sake of future generations. In the March First Declaration of Independence, our forebears proposed to Japan that we overcome “old animosities” and “fleeting grudges” and work together for peace in the East. Our ideas remain the same in the present. In this time of many difficulties,
Korea and Japan – close neighbors – must be able to overcome the history of the once unfortunate past and cooperate for the future. Beyond Korea-Japan relations, I sincerely hope that Japan will take leadership as an advanced nation. To this end, Japan must squarely face history and be humble before it. Japan will become a trustworthy country only when it is able to empathize with the wounds of the people of neighboring countries, which are sometimes exacerbated by a once unfortunate past.
“My Administration will always keep the door open for dialogue to join forces not only for regional peace and prosperity but also in responding to global challenges – ranging from COVID-19 and the climate crisis to the supply chain crisis and the new economic order.
“Fellow citizens and Koreans overseas,
“We call those who played an active role in the Provisional Republic of Korea Government leading figures. The term “leading figures” contains the respect of their descendants: ourselves. Up until now, all of our people have played the main role in achieving Korea’s economic advancement and democracy and have become precious in their respective positions. Now, we have set off toward a new Republic of Korea, a pacesetting nation. On that path, each and every one of us is the same as a leading figure. Everyone is a pioneer, and all of us carry an important mission.
Now, no one can shake the Republic of Korea. Now, no one can take away our people’s sovereignty. Now, no one can neglect an individual’s life. The National Memorial of the Korean Provisional Government here will remember the great Republic of Korea achieved by ordinary people and will always serve as a milestone of courage and hope for the people,” he said.
“I pay my deep respect to our forebears who in the spring of 1919, when the fervor for independence flared up, proudly walked the path of hardship and glory and have finally become a great chapter in history for all of us,” he added.
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