Yoon says N. Korea denies universal values of humanity

“The tyranny and human rights abuses of the North Korean regime deny the universal values of humanity,” said South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during his speech for March 1st Independence Movement Day. “Unification is precisely what we need to expand the universal values of freedom and human rights. Our unification efforts must become a source of hope and a beacon of light for the people of North Korea.”

His speech was in response to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s statement in January, which defined South Korea as the country’s No. 1 enemy by saying that the concepts of unification and the same race should be forgotten. The president mentioned the human rights issue, which is the most sensitive topic for the Kim Jong Un regime and proposed unification under liberal democracy, which would free North Korean residents from such pain and enable them to enjoy the same level of freedom as South Koreans. The president did not mention unification in his speech for last year’s Independence Movement Day.

“Inheriting the spirit of the March 1st Independence Movement, various types of independence movements followed at home and abroad. Independence fighters engaged fiercely in armed struggle at the risk of their lives,” said President Yoon during his speech. “Some independence activists initiated educational and cultural movements to empower Koreans with necessary skills on their own.“

“I believe that the significance of all of these independence movements must be duly recognized and their history should be passed down correctly generation after generation. No one is allowed to monopolize history,” said the president.


Joo-Young Jeon aimhigh@donga.com