“The dignity of a nation depends on who it remembers”
“The core value of Yoon Suk-yeol government’s national philosophy is to emphasize ‘patriotic service'”
Major achievements include improving veterans’ medical care, transferring to Seoul National Cemetery
Explaining swift and appropriate veterans’ support policies related to military accidents, ‘ [Financial News] ‘,
Symbol of the National Veterans Affairs. Provided by the Ministry of National Defense
, ‘The Ministry of Veterans Affairs stated on the 13th that, since its promotion to a ministry after 62 years under the Yoon Suk-yeol government, ‘patriotic service’ has been established as a core value of the national philosophy, strengthening the status of veterans and spreading a culture of respecting heroes. ‘,
, ‘On this day, on the occasion of the 1st anniversary of its promotion, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs emphasized that the dignity of a nation lies in who it remembers, and that the most important thing is the spread of a culture of honoring and respecting those who sacrificed and dedicated themselves for the nation. They announced plans to expand contracted hospitals to a record high of 176 this year, from the current 739 to 1140 by 2027 to enhance medical accessibility for national merit recipients. ‘,
, ‘Minister Lee Hee-wan of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs explained various achievements over the past year, stating, “Just as the President mentioned in his Memorial Day speech on the 6th, promising to ‘improve medical services for national merit recipients and expand rehabilitation support,’ the ministry is making efforts to enhance the quality of continuous veterans’ medical services and has achieved results.” ‘,
, ‘He also emphasized, “Veterans affairs and national defense are two sides of the same coin, meaning that a solid veterans affairs system should support a robust national defense. If there is a dependable veterans support policy to swiftly address unfortunate incidents, I believe that the parties involved, their families, and the citizens can trust the nation and find some relief. This is the main reason why veterans affairs exist.” ‘,
, ‘As major achievements in the past year, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs listed the transfer to Seoul National Cemetery in July and the promotion of the redevelopment of symbolic spaces dedicated to heroes who dedicated themselves to defending freedom and democracy. ‘,
, ‘The Ministry of Veterans Affairs also explained that it has led the comprehensive planning and publication for a proper evaluation of the value of independence movements in various fields such as military, diplomacy, education, and culture and for the correct transmission of history. ‘,
, ‘Furthermore, the ministry introduced that as a member of the Social Relations Ministers’ Meeting (Deputy Prime Minister in charge of social affairs) due to its promotion, it is making every effort to spread a veterans culture that respects heroes who have dedicated themselves to the nation and to establish the national identity and promote national unity. ‘,
, ‘In March this year, the ministry erected memorials for 7,000 independent merit recipients without descendants and built a memorial facility to honor 77,000 Korean War non-returnees together with the nation and hope for their return at Daejeon National Cemetery. ‘,
, ‘On April 26th, the ministry held the ‘1st Memorial Day for Duty-Bound Police Officers’ to commemorate the sacrifice of a police officer who died while performing duties for the nation at a young age. ‘,
, ‘In February, the ministry released digital veterans teaching materials called ‘Narasa Learning Book’ that are linked to the social studies and ethics courses for upper grades of elementary school and history and ethics courses for middle school students to remember and pass on the contributions of national merit recipients. ‘,
, ‘Following the distribution of uniforms expressing respect and gratitude to about 36,000 Korean War veterans last year, the ministry is currently conducting a project to provide uniforms to 175,000 Korean War veterans to boost their pride. ‘,
, ‘Additionally, the ministry achieved results in expanding veterans medical infrastructure, adding diseases related to Agent Orange exposure, and abolishing the criteria for dependent heirs for living adjustment allowances and livelihood support fees to enhance the quality of life and pride of veterans’ families. ‘,
, ‘As one of the key policies this year, the ministry is focusing on the ‘Everyone’s Veterans Donation Project’ to allow all citizens to participate in promoting the welfare and honoring culture of national merit recipients. ‘,
, ‘For this purpose, the Veterans Fund Act was promulgated on April 4th, and starting this month, it will initiate a full-scale veterans donation project with the launch of an online donation homepage. The Veterans Fund Act allows the use of up to 5% of the donated funds for essential expenses, compared to a maximum of 15% under other general donation fund laws, ensuring that the donated funds are used in line with their original purpose. ‘,
, ‘In the second half of this year, there are plans to extensively carry out campaigns honoring uniform-wearing pro bono workers, including public service ads, broadcast programs, new media contents, and gratitude cultural events. ‘,
, “Last weekend, the ministry held the ‘1st Korea Memorial Festival’ at Seoul Olympic Park. The event attracted about 250,000 people over two days, offering performances, food, and K-culture to allow people to experience the meaning and value of veterans affairs, with 95.5% of participants reportedly satisfied. “,
, ‘The ministry expressed its intention to expand the Korea Memorial Festival as a symbol of future generations’ veterans culture and develop it into South Korea’s representative festival. ‘,
, ‘The vice minister pledged, “In the future, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs will introduce a public duty relevance presumption system to ease the burden of proof for personnel in risky positions such as soldiers, police officers, and firefighters and strengthen national responsibility. We will continue to make every effort to provide seamless support and honor to these personnel.”‘]