2024-07-14 13:36:56
Commemorative speech for the 1st North Korean Defectors’ Day
President Yoon Seok-yeol promised on the 14th, “No matter what happens, we will not send back a single North Korean compatriot who comes to South Korea, and we will make every diplomatic effort to ensure that our compatriots who escaped North Korea and are living overseas are not forcibly repatriated.” President Yoon also said, “Resolving the North Korean human rights issue is an important foundation for achieving peace on the Korean Peninsula and a unified South Korea,” and “Embracing North Korean defectors will be the first step toward improving human rights in North Korea.”
President Yoon attended the ceremony commemorating the “1st North Korean Defectors’ Day” held at the Blue House guesthouse this morning and said, “North Koreans are citizens of the Republic of Korea according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, and protecting citizens is the most basic responsibility of the state.” President Yoon had previously instructed the establishment of a North Korean Defectors’ Day at a Cabinet meeting in January of this year. Afterwards, after gathering opinions, July 14 was designated as “North Korean Defectors’ Day” to commemorate July 14, 1997, when the “Act on the Protection and Settlement Support of North Korean Defectors” went into effect.
President Yoon criticized, “The North Korean regime is building walls and electric fences along the border to prevent defections, and even planting landmines,” and said, “This is an inhumane act that blocks the cries of those who want to live like human beings.” He continued, “Even at this moment, the North Korean regime is trapping its people in the shackles of tyranny and hunger,” and “No matter how much they oppress, they cannot stop the hope for freedom and the steps toward freedom.” He also emphasized, “The government of the Republic of Korea will never turn a blind eye to our suffering compatriots in North Korea.”
President Yoon announced that he would establish a comprehensive protection and support system to ensure that North Korean defectors can settle down stably. President Yoon said, “We will significantly improve the initial settlement support fund, which is at the 2005 level, and support asset formation through the Future Happiness Account.” He continued, “We will actively provide childcare services so that North Korean defector women can work and raise children with peace of mind,” and “We will provide incentives such as tax deductions to companies that employ North Korean defectors.”
The first ceremony was attended by about 200 people, including Minister of Unification Kim Young-ho, Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol, North Korean defectors, settlement support workers, and officials from related organizations. At the event, in recognition of their contributions to supporting North Korean defectors, Kim Sung-min, head of Free North Korea Broadcasting (Dongbaek Medal of Civil Merit), Lim Hyeon-su, director of the Global United Missionary Training Center (Civil Medal), Ma Sun-hee, head of the Hakmaeul Self-Help Group (Presidential Citation), and the ‘With Volunteer Corps’ comprised of South and North Korean residents (Presidential Citation) received medals, decorations, and citations directly from President Yoon.
Reporter Cho Hye-seon, Donga.com [email protected]
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2024-07-14 13:36:56