- Jul 1, 2018
- 1,643

The Prime Minister, Roh Moo-hyun, stands at his podium at the bottom of the steps infront of the Blue House. Cameras pointed at his face.
"Citizens of the Korean nation and of the world,
Today, we speak as one people—united not only by language, blood, and land, but by a shared belief: that the future of Korea must be built upon freedom, dignity, and truth.
Our journey here was not easy. Reunification demanded vision, sacrifice, and unshakable courage. From the southern coastlines to the rivers of the north, we have mended our wounds and opened a new chapter. A free Pyongyang now stands with a free Seoul. Generations divided by walls and war now walk together.
But with this unity comes a solemn duty—to guard against the very forces that once divided us.
Communism, in its many forms, stole decades from our northern brothers and sisters. It promised prosperity and delivered ruin. It spoke of equality while constructing a caste of untouchable elites. It demanded obedience and rewarded betrayal. Under its grip, temples were razed, families were broken, and truth itself was criminalized.
We must never forget the cost of lies masquerading as justice.
And we will not only remember—we will act. Korea will fight for freedom wherever it is threatened. We will arm our people not only with tools of defense, but with the power of truth, education, and innovation. In diplomacy, we will stand with nations that value liberty. In trade, we will reward those who respect human rights. In international forums, we will speak clearly: no tyrant will find a friend in Seoul or Pyongyang. We will support the oppressed abroad, just as we once longed for the world to support us. Freedom is not a gift to be hoarded; it is a light to be shared.
Even today, though communism has lost its grip on our land, its specter moves across borders and platforms. It repackages itself in new ideologies, using noble words to hide totalitarian intentions. It tells the young to burn the old. It tells the poor to hate the successful. It tells nations to erase their past to create a blank future it alone can fill.
We reject this.
Our Korea will not trade one tyranny for another. We have earned our freedom—not from imperial powers, not from foreign ideologies, but by the hands and hearts of Koreans who believed in a better path. Our future lies not in class warfare, but in solidarity. Not in forced equality, but in equal opportunity. Not in the dictatorship of the few, but in the wisdom of the many.
We remain committed to justice—real justice, grounded in human dignity and law. We remain committed to progress—real progress, driven by innovation, education, and cultural pride. And we remain committed to peace—peace founded not on fear, but on strength.
To the global community: the Korean state stands firm. We will trade freely, engage respectfully, and cooperate faithfully. But we will never again allow our people to be enslaved by any ideology that denies the right to think, to speak, or to dream.
To the Korean people, north and south: protect this unity. Cherish your freedoms. Defend our republic not only with arms, but with vigilance, truth, and the will to remain free.
Let our children inherit a Korea that never again bows to tyrants or ideologies that seek to erase who we are.
One Korea. One people. Forever free."