hankyoreh

President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers his National Liberation Day address at Ewha Womans University on Aug. 15. (presidential office pool photo)

In his speech celebrating National Liberation Day, President Yoon Suk-yeol remarked that Korea “must never succumb to” what he called rampant “anti-state forces that blindly follow communist totalitarianism, distort public opinion, and disrupt the society through manipulative propaganda.” Instead of highlighting unity on the day Korea gained independence from colonialism, Yoon put out a message of division and hostility, labeling those critical of the government as anti-state forces that support communism.

Just as he did on National Liberation Day the previous year, Yoon repeatedly stressed the importance of security cooperation amongst South Korea, the US, and Japan, calling the latter a “partner who shares universal values and pursues common interests” without demanding Tokyo to look squarely upon history and reflect on its past atrocities.

On Tuesday, Yoon attended an event celebrating the 78th anniversary of Korea’s independence from Japanese colonial rule held at the auditorium of Ewha Womans University in the Seodaemun District of Seoul.

“The forces of communist totalitarianism have always disguised themselves as democracy activists, human rights advocates or progressive activists while engaging in despicable and unethical tactics and false propaganda,” the president said in his speech. “In a divided nation, the confrontation between liberal democracy and communist totalitarianism is a reality. And the activities of those anti-state groups are likely to persist.”

“We must never succumb to the forces of communist totalitarianism. We must not be deceived by those who follow and serve them,” Yoon added.

While Yoon did not specify who these “anti-state forces” were in his speech, he seems to have been referring to those critical of his government, such opposition parties, civil society, labor groups, and the media as a whole. An official from the presidential office told the Hankyoreh, “Politicians spreading false propaganda from civil society and such claims being covered as fake news through the media happens time and time again. [Yoon] was expressing his concern regarding such behavior.”

Although the occasion for his speech was National Liberation Day, Yoon did not demand the Japanese government to look squarely upon the atrocities it committed in the past and reflect and express remorse. Instead, Yoon called Japan now “a partner” with which Korea shares common values with us and pursues shared interests, adding, “As partners that cooperate on security and the economy, Korea and Japan will be able to jointly contribute to peace and prosperity across the globe while collaborating and exchanging in a future-oriented manner.”

Yoon stressed, “Notably, the significance of ROK-US-Japan trilateral security cooperation is increasingly growing on the Korean Peninsula and in the region,” arguing that “in order to fundamentally block the threat of North Korean nuclear weapons and missiles, the Republic of Korea, the United States and Japan must closely cooperate on reconnaissance assets and share North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missiles data in real time.”

Further, he shared that the seven rear bases Japan provides to the United Nations Command “serve as the greatest deterrent which keeps the North from invading the South.”

Regarding North Korea, Yoon briefly reiterated the “audacious initiative” he announced last year, which is a plan to provide economic support to North Korea on the condition of it pursuing denuclearization. Yoon said, “While steadfastly implementing the ‘audacious initiative’ to build peace by overwhelming force, the government will also work together with the international community to make the North Korean regime stop advancing its nuclear and missile programs and embark on a path to dialogue and cooperation, which will lead to better livelihoods of its people.”

The opposition criticized Yoon’s speech as one that divides and instigates.

Kwon Chil-seung, the spokesperson of the Democratic Party, commented, “I suspect Yoon is living in the Yusin dictatorship era,” adding, “Yoon’s speech was no different from the monologues you’d find on a far-right YouTube channel.”

Justice Party spokesperson Lee Je-rang also said, “[Yoon] turned National Liberation Day, a celebration of Korea’s independence and liberation, which the people achieved by joining forces, into an arena of division and demagoguery,” slamming Yoon’s speech as a “declaration of war against the opposition, civil society, and labor groups.”

By Kim Mi-na, staff reporter

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