The Korea Our Ancestors Reclaimed for Us—Now It's Our Turn to Pass It On to Future Generations

Every time I gaze at the Taegeuk flag on August 15, one question comes to mind.

“What Korea did we inherit from our ancestors, and what Korea will we pass on to our descendants?”

Independence activists chose their nation's future over their own comfortable lives. Because of their sacrifice, we live today under the name of the Republic of Korea.

Yet 81 years later, the Republic of Korea faces a fundamentally different national crisis—not one of guns and swords.

It is a population crisis.

When the sound of babies' cries diminishes, schools disappear, regions vanish, companies face labor shortages, and defense, economy, welfare, and state finances all falter.

Therefore, the population problem is not merely an issue for women or youth, nor can it be solved by a single health and welfare policy.

It is a matter of national survival regarding the sustainability of the Republic of Korea.

Fortunately, signs of hope are emerging. The number of births and the total fertility rate in 2025 have risen compared to the previous year. (Source: National Data Research Institute)

However, what is needed now is neither optimism nor pessimism. It is a great transformation.

We must give young people hope in jobs and housing, newlyweds the courage to marry and have children, parents stability in childcare and education, companies a family-friendly culture, and elderly generations a role to share their experience and wisdom with the next generation.

The Korea Childbirth Encouragement Association, which began in 1997, also stands at a new turning point this year.

It marks the inaugural year as a public interest organization and the beginning of the second 30-year period.

If the past 30 years were a time to inform the public of the importance of childbirth and birth encouragement, the next 30 years must become a time to transform the 'Great Transformation for Korea's Population Recovery' into a national movement.

The true meaning of Liberation Day lies not merely in commemorating the past.

Making the Korea our ancestors reclaimed for us into an even better nation and passing on a happy Korea to our descendants—this is the responsibility of those of us living today.

If the spirit of the times in 1945 was liberation,

then one of the spirits of the times for Korea in 2026 must be population recovery.

That will be the most precious tribute we can offer our ancestors as we mark the 81st anniversary of liberation.

The population recovery movement is the third national salvation movement.

Hope Korea! Happy Korea! Hongik Korea!

Let’s Go Together!