South Korea marks inaugural Miners' Day with message from President Lee Jae-myung

South Korea held its inaugural Miners' Day ceremony Sunday at Taebaek General Stadium in Gangwon Province, honoring the dedication and sacrifice of miners and their contributions to the nation's industrial development. Parallel events were held in Samcheok, Jeongseon-gun and Yeongwol-gun, all regions that have undergone transitions away from the coal industry.

The national holiday ceremony carried added significance as it came shortly after President Lee Jae-myung — widely known as "a miner's son" — shared his personal reflections on the occasion via social media.

In a message posted Sunday to mark Miners' Day, Lee paid tribute to the miners who drove South Korea's industrialization. "When everyone else was looking toward the light, we must not forget the miners who made that possible from the shadows," he said.

In his Facebook post, Lee wrote: "So that the electricity generated by coal could light up our cities, miners shouldered their pickaxes and descended into deep, dark mine shafts. Thanks to them, we were able to enjoy the fruits of industrialization."

Lee has long spoken openly about his family's ties to the mining industry. His father worked as a miner at the Dogye Mine in Samcheok, and his eldest brother, who lives in Taebaek, also worked in the mines.

"History is only complete when it remembers both its light and its shadow," Lee said. "The history of our industrialization becomes whole only when we also remember the sweat and wounds of the countless people who built that golden pyramid of progress — and the voices of those forgotten without even leaving their names behind."

Lee said Miners' Day should be more than a commemoration of a single occupation. "It must be a day to honor the value of the many forms of labor that drove South Korea's industrialization, and a day to embrace the wounds and pain left behind in that process," he said. "I extend my deepest respect and gratitude to all the miners who descended into the darkest depths to bring light to the Republic of Korea."

Miners' Day became a statutory national holiday under a special act on support for the development of coal industry transition regions, which passed the National Assembly late last year. The bill was championed by lawmaker Lee Cheol-gyu, who represents the Donghae, Taebaek, Samcheok and Jeongseon constituency.

The Miners' Day program was divided into an eve-of-holiday event held Saturday at the Hwangji Pond Cultural Plaza and the main ceremony held Sunday at Taebaek General Stadium.

Sunday's main ceremony in Taebaek proceeded in order: a memorial rite, a miners' parade, a reading of the opening declaration, congratulatory and commemorative addresses, and a commendation of meritorious individuals.

This year's event was organized in conjunction with the "Industrial Warriors Memorial Rite," a long-running ceremony held to mourn miners killed on the job and to comfort their bereaved families.

Women from coal-mining communities whose husbands or sons worked in the shafts of the Samcheok coalfields and Dongwon Mine would gather at Dorong Pond — formed when a mine tunnel collapsed — to pray for their loved ones' safe return. Some women also worked directly at coal-sorting facilities.