Lee attends West Sea Defense Day for first time: "The most reliable security is a situation where there is no need to fight"

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[The Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung of South Korea attended the West Sea Defense Day ceremony on the 27th for the first time since taking office and stated, "A situation where there is no need to fight, peace itself, is difficult to achieve but is the most reliable form of security."
In his commemorative address at the 11th West Sea Defense Day ceremony at Daejeon National Cemetery, Lee said, "Peace is livelihood, and peace is people’s daily lives," adding, "Solid and lasting peace is the most precious way to honor those who defended the nation." He went on, "Our historic mission, entrusted to us by the heroes who defended the West Sea, is to protect our people and the territory of the Republic of Korea with unwavering military strength, while at the same time building a peaceful Korean Peninsula free from the fear of war."
Lee described the Yellow Sea as "the ‘front line of the homeland’ where not even a moment of complacency was allowed," and as "a precious foundation of life where life and death were at stake, and a sea of the people that our community protected together." He added, "It is our responsibility to transform the sea they defended with their lives from a ‘border of conflict and dispute’ into a ‘foundation of peace and prosperity.’"
Lee repeatedly stressed the need to honor the 55 Heroes of the West Sea Defense, their bereaved families, and the veterans who fought there. "The Government of the People will never leave you isolated," he said. "We will remember you, record your sacrifices, and accord you the respect you deserve." He further emphasized the state’s responsibility, asking, "If we do not properly honor those who have borne such noble sacrifice, who will step forward for the nation in the future?"
He also laid out plans to strengthen support for patriots and veterans. Lee stated, "To realize the principle of ‘special compensation for special sacrifice,’ we are working to close every gap in the veterans’ support system," and announced that, starting in May this year, the government will provide a monthly livelihood subsidy to spouses of war veterans who are struggling financially. He added, "We will do our utmost to ensure that bereaved families, who have already endured the pain of heartbreaking loss, do not also have to shoulder the burden of mere survival."
He also announced plans to expand medical support. Lee said, "It is only right, and indeed an obvious duty of the state, to take responsibility to the very end for the lives of those who were injured while defending the country," and pledged to increase the number of commissioned medical institutions for veterans to 2,000 nationwide by 2030.
Lee also addressed improving treatment for discharged soldiers. He explained that the government has mandated that public-sector employers must include mandatory military service periods when calculating seniority or pay for discharged soldiers. He added that the more the time spent in military service is recognized in society as a legitimate asset, the more "citizens in uniform" will be able to serve with pride.
Lee further stated, "What the 55 Heroes of the West Sea Defense protected with their blood and sweat was not merely a ‘line on the sea,’" but rather "the everyday life we enjoy today without fear, and the tomorrow in which our descendants can pursue their dreams without anxiety." He continued, "We will devote all our strength to putting an end to the past of confrontation and tension in the Yellow Sea and to writing a new history of shared growth and shared prosperity."
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west@fnnews.com Seong Seok-woo Reporter