My fellow Koreans, Korean and U.S. service members, and distinguished guests from home and abroad,

Today, we gather for a truly meaningful occasion: the first mutual repatriation of the remains of Korean and U.S. soldiers who fell in the Korean War here in the Republic of Korea – the country that our two nations defended together with unwavering resolve, shedding blood and sweat.

More than seventy years ago, these heroes sacrificed their prime years and precious lives to safeguard the Republic of Korea’s freedom and peace. Thanks to their noble sacrifice, we have been able to live in freedom and peace.

Yet even after the armistice, and during the ensuing decades, many of those heroes’ remains could not be returned to their beloved hometowns. Bringing them back to the full embrace of their homeland is our historic duty as survivors.

Today, the remains of thirteen heroes are returning home.

The remains of ten Korean soldiers, which had reposed in the distant and unfamiliar land of Hawaii, have at last returned to the embrace of their homeland.

With the highest honors, we will now send home the remains of three U.S. service members who had been laid to rest in the mountains and fields of the Republic of Korea, a faraway land.

Regrettably, their names could not ultimately be identified. That, however, in no way diminishes the weight of their noble sacrifice.

We will remember them forever by the most honorable name of all: “Heroes of the Republic of Korea.”

To remember and ever honor those who devoted their youth to the nation and sacrificed themselves for freedom and peace, to inscribe their names fully in the nation’s history and to ensure that no individuals who dedicated themselves to the homeland are ever forgotten or overlooked – these are the duties of a state and, indeed, its very raison d’être.

To ensure that the heroes who defended our nation may rest in peace in the embrace of their homeland, we will carry through with our DNA identification and tracking efforts to confirm the identity of every last fallen hero.

We will do everything possible to make sure that those who have sacrificed and devoted themselves to our community receive the honor and respect they deserve.

Today’s repatriation of remains is not just a humanitarian undertaking – it is far more profound and significant.

It is a pledge by both Korea and the United States, together, to forever remember the heroes who devoted themselves to freedom and peace, and it is the highest honor we can bestow to recognize their sacrifice.

Moreover, today’s repatriation is a meaningful milestone that serves to further deepen and strengthen the ROK–U.S. alliance, which was built upon the blood and dedication of our veterans.

The efforts to find and return not only our own fallen heroes’ remains, but those of our ally, to their bereaved families is the most powerful testament to the ROK–U.S. alliance forged in blood.

Delivering on promises made on the battlefield, even decades later – that is the robust bedrock that has sustained the ROK–U.S. alliance.

Drawing on this steadfast alliance, the Republic of Korea is astonishing the world by adding a new chapter to the story of its prosperity.

Since liberation, Korea has accomplished the rare feat of achieving both industrialization and democratization. It is an exemplary democracy – a nation that truly belongs to the people and that is closely watched by the whole world. It has risen to become an economic powerhouse that is in the global top ten, having gone from being an aid recipient to a donor in just half a century.

I am confident that if Korea and the United States join hands and move forward with unwavering resolve, permanent peace can take root in this land and the flower of mutual prosperity will reach full bloom.

We will continue to steadfastly uphold our legacy of noble solidarity in the cause of freedom and peace, together with the younger generations.

Fellow Koreans,

The peace and prosperity we enjoy today are a great legacy built upon the selfless sacrifices of the nameless heroes here before us.

A nation that remembers sacrifices made for all will have a bright future, and a community that repays their dedication will grow stronger.

The government will do everything possible to honor each and every hero and ensure that their noble ideals are faithfully passed on to future generations. 

We will build a responsible Republic of Korea that repays extraordinary sacrifices with special honors and memorializes each and every hero. I will repay their sacrifice by building a safe and peaceful nation.

I offer my deepest respect and condolences once more to the heroes who have returned to the embrace of our homeland today, and I pray they rest in peace.

We will forever remember and honor them.

Thank you.