Lee attends 81st Liberation Day ceremony, vows to write 'new liberation' with the people

President Lee Jae Myung and first lady Kim Hye-kyung attended the 81st Liberation Day ceremony on Saturday, reaffirming their commitment to writing a "new liberation" — one that makes South Korea "irreplaceable" — together with the Korean people.

Cheong Wa Dae said Lee attended the ceremony held in Seoul. About 3,000 people joined the event, including independence movement veterans, bereaved families of independence fighters, senior government officials, representatives of political parties and religious organizations, foreign diplomats stationed in Korea, and members of the public and student groups.

This year's ceremony was held under the theme "Tomorrow Shines Brighter — Irreplaceable Korea," marking the 81st anniversary of liberation. The theme was intended to highlight South Korea's rise built on the sacrifices of its forebears and to present a vision of an even brighter future ahead.

The ceremony opened with a formal declaration, followed by the national pledge, a commemorative address by the Korean Liberation Association chairman, a thematic video screening, commendations for independence fighters, the presidential address, a celebratory performance, a group singing of the Liberation Day song, and three cheers of "Manse."

During the national pledge segment, actor Ha Do-kwon — who portrayed independence activist Kim Gu in a liberation documentary — read the pledge aloud. Soprano Hwang Su-mi led the singing of the national anthem.

The thematic video traced a "relay of dreams," illuminating how the aspirations of independence fighters — including Kim Gu, whose 150th birth anniversary falls this year, along with An Chang-ho and Yi Hoe-yeong — carried through the darkness of colonial rule to become the South Korea of today.

For the commendation segment, Lee personally presented awards to five descendants of independence fighters selected for recognition this Liberation Day, including the family of the late Choe Jun-rye — wife of Kim Gu — who devoted herself to enlightening women and supporting the Provisional Government.

The celebratory performance depicted how the dreams forged through the sacrifices of independence fighters have been realized in a South Korea that now commands global attention. An introductory video under the theme "Saturday — South Korea" opened the segment, followed by a VR drawing performance by VR artist Piony under the theme "Irreplaceable Korea." The program closed with singer Choe Yu-jeong and a 40-member public choir performing "ONE Dream," a song with lyrics written by rapper Paloalto, in a tribute to a hopeful tomorrow.

The ceremony concluded with a three-cheer "Manse" segment in which the president and first lady joined the Korean Liberation Association chairman, descendants of independence fighters, young talent from future industries, and Paralympic national team athletes on stage. During the cheers, generative AI-recreated images of Kim Gu and other independence fighters appeared on the stage screen — a moment Cheong Wa Dae described as a meaningful exchange across time between the Koreans of the past and those of today.

In his Liberation Day address, Lee outlined a blueprint for peaceful coexistence between the two Koreas and a forward-looking relationship with Japan.