President Yoon to propose blueprint for future prosperity

President Yoon Suk Yeol during a meeting on the biohealth industry at the Blue House's Yeongbingwan in Seoul on Tuesday. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk Yeol will suggest a blueprint for future prosperity that inherits the spirit of Korea’s independence movement during his March 1 independence movement anniversary speech on Wednesday.

“President Yoon’s speech will include looking back on Korea’s past as well as the current state while reminding us of the historic significance of the March 1 Independence movement during tomorrow’s commemoration speech,” said presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon. “The key words are freedom, dedication, memory, future and prosperity.”

However, the spokesperson did not give a clear answer to whether the speech will include controversial issues such as Japan’s refusal to compensate the victims and families of Koreans mobilized for forced labor during the Japanese occupation era between 1910 and 1945.

The president’s spokesperson also said the Korean government has been clear on the question of supplying weapons to Ukraine.

While Ukraine’s president has requested military aid from Korea, the Korean government has adamantly limited its support to humanitarian aid.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]