President Park honors fallen, calls for national unity in Memorial Day address

• Report rights infringement
• published: 06 Jun 2016
• views: 3

Marking the 61st Memorial Day,... a national ceremony was held this morning to remember the fallen heroes. President Park Geun-hye, who just came home from her trip to Africa and France, was there to give an address. Song Ji-sun starts us off... with the president's message. President Park paid tribute to the nation's fallen heroes during her speech on Memorial Day at the Seoul National Cemetery on Monday. She expressed the nation's gratitude to those who fought in the Korean War... and those who fought for Korea's independence against Japan's colonization. She also expressed regret for the divided Korean peninsula, saying that North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons is the biggest obstacle standing in the way of a unified Korea,... posing a threat to regional and global peace. Pointing to North Korea's recent claim of being a nuclear state, made at its Workers' Party congress last month, President Park warned once again that the regime's nuclear and missile development will only lead to further isolation... and stronger pressure... from the outside world. "In close cooperation with the international community, the South Korean government will continue to press and sanction North Korea until it chooses the path of denuclearization and returns to dialogue." The president pledged to firmly respond to any provocation from the North and vowed to further strengthen the country's defense readiness in alliance with the United States. With representatives from the country's rival political parties present at the ceremony,... President Park also issued a call for unity. "There cannot be opposition parties, regions or generations in national security. We must unite as one to close the chapter of division and open the path to peace and unification on the Korean peninsula." "In her first public appearance since returning from a twelve-day trip to Africa and France,... President Park also pledged to expand benefits for war veterans and secure quality jobs for retired soldiers. Song Ji-sun, Arirang News Visit ‘Arirang News’ Official Pages Facebook(NEWS): http://www.facebook.com/newsarirang Homepage: http://www.arirang.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/arirangtv Twitter: http://twitter.com/arirangworld Instagram: http://instagram.com/arirangworld