President Lee Jae Myung wipes his tears during a ceremony to mark the 54th Parents' Day in central Seoul on May 8. [NEWS1]
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday shed tears as he dedicated his Parents’ Day speech to the parents of public service workers who lost their lives trying to save others and vowed to make the government fulfill the role of a family during the 54th Parents’ Day ceremony at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul.
“People can look to the future with hope and dream of a better tomorrow in a country where child care and care for their parents are not burdens,” he said.
Parents’ Day in Korea annually falls on May 8.
First lady Kim Hea Kyung also attended the ceremony, marking the first time a sitting presidential couple attended the Parents’ Day event.
“I extend my deep respect and gratitude to all the parents across this country who have devoted themselves to their families and the nation,” Lee said.
“The heartfelt desire to leave behind a better world for [the next generation] has been the foundation of this nation and the driving force behind its prosperity and growth. The lighter the burden borne by our parents, the closer we move toward becoming a truly advanced country.”
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a ceremony to mark the 54th Parents' Day in central Seoul on May 8. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
The president also vowed to strengthen support programs for older adults.
“To help provide people with stable postretirement lives, the government is preparing to roll out institutional mechanisms: community-integrated care, asset protection services in cases of dementia, the nation’s largest-ever [older adult] employment initiative with 1.15 million jobs and improvements to the pension system,” he said.
“We will continue to look after parents with greater care and expand meaningful support and practical assistance available to them.”
The parents of police officers and firefighters who died in the line of duty were invited to the ceremony. Lee and the first lady pinned carnations on each of the parents’ clothes in a gesture of consolation and gratitude.
A bereaved parent of public service worker sheds tears during a ceremony to mark the 54th Parents' Day in central Seoul on May 8. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Among them were the parents of late senior firefighters Kim Soo-kwang and Park Soo-hoon, who were killed while containing a factory fire in Mungyeong, North Gyeongsang, in February 2024; late firefighter Lim Seong-cheol, who died while rescuing an older couple from a warehouse fire in Jeju in December 2023; late firefighter Seong Kong-il, who was killed while responding to a house fire in Gimje, North Jeolla, in March 2023; late lieutenant Yu Jae-guk, who died during a search operation near Gayang Bridge over the Han River in Seoul in 2020; and late firefighter Lee Ho-hyeon, who died fighting a fire in Gangneung just eight months after joining the agency in 2017.
“Parents’ Day is meant to be a day for sharing the warmth and affection [that family members] may not have expressed before,” Lee said, seemingly struggling to hold back tears.
“But there are those who spend the day grieving loved ones they can no longer see. Here with us today are the parents of public servants who lost their lives protecting the people.”
President Lee Jae Myung, left, pins a carnation onto the clothes of parents of late firefighters and police officers who died in the line of duty during a ceremony to mark the 54th Parents' Day in central Seoul on May 8. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
“I know there are no words that can fully console the grief of parents forced to say goodbye to their beloved children first,” the president added. “I will solemnly remember the noble sacrifice of those young people who carried out their duties until the very end in the most dangerous places.
“With the determination that the state will fulfill its responsibility in their children’s place and remain by their side until the end, we presented carnations to the bereaved families today.”
After concluding his speech, Lee wiped away tears with a handkerchief as he left the venue.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
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