Choo Mi-ae: "Tightening belts to prepare children's future... will achieve inclusive Gyeonggi Province"

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae said in a commemorative address on the 81st Liberation Day on the 15th, "Today we commemorate the 81st Liberation Day, a light reclaimed through the aspirations and struggles of our entire people," and added, "Eighty-one years ago today, the light of liberation that brightened every corner of our three-thousand-ri peninsula was not something that came about naturally."

Governor Choo continued, "It is the fruit achieved through the blood and sweat of patriotic martyrs and independence activists who devoted their lives, property, and everything in response to the Japanese imperial rule's cruel exploitation and oppression, solely for the recovery of national sovereignty and independence."

Governor Choo said, "Because they protected the nation and recovered our freedom and right to choose our own future, the Republic of Korea was able to grow into an economic powerhouse from the ruins. From steel and shipbuilding, automobiles to semiconductors and secondary batteries, AI and K-content, the Republic of Korea has now become a nation leading global change."

Governor Choo continued, "Gyeonggi Province has also grown as the heart of the Korean economy, responsible for approximately one-quarter of the nation's regional GDP, exports, and businesses," and stated, "The freedom and peace we enjoy today and the ability to dream of a better future are all possible because of the Republic of Korea that they protected."

In the commemorative address, Governor Choo said, "Gyeonggi Province was the center of the independence movement. Numerous patriots of Gyeonggi Province led the way for Korean independence, from armed struggle and righteous army movements to national education and the establishment of the Provisional Government," and continued, "Master Shin Ik-hee of Haekong in Gwangju led the establishment of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea and the Provisional Legislative Assembly; Master Lee Seok-young of Namyangju prepared independence movement funds by dedicating his entire fortune; Master Kim Gyu-sik of Noeun in Yangju was at the forefront of armed independence struggle; and Master Yun Ki-seop of Paju dedicated his entire life to training independence soldiers at the Shinheung Military Academy."

Governor Choo continued, "We deeply engrave in our hearts, together with the residents, the sublime life and resolute will of Patriot O Seong-gyu, the sole surviving patriotic activist and oldest patriotic activist of the Republic of Korea," and stated, "Inheriting the indomitable spirit that marched toward the Korean Liberation Army through bleeding hardships, Gyeonggi Province will not leave a single independence activist behind in the shadows of history."

In the commemorative address, Governor Choo said, "The nation our patriotic forebears envisioned was not merely about reclaiming stolen national sovereignty," and emphasized, "It was a nation where citizens are masters, everyone is treated fairly, people create a better future on their own, and people live together transcending differences. I believe that spirit represents the values of fairness, innovation, and inclusion that we must protect today."

Governor Choo said, "The people rose up through the March 1st Movement to reclaim the sovereignty of the occupied nation, and through the April 19 Revolution, the May 18 Democratic Uprising, and the June Democratic Struggle, they upheld that the people are the masters of the nation against dictatorship and injustice," and added, "The power to protect democracy against illegal martial law and rebellion that threatened constitutional order also came from the people."

Governor Choo then said, "Vesting sovereignty in the people, offering proper respect for dedication, and providing appropriate compensation for extraordinary sacrifice—this is the fairness we must protect. I will create a fair Gyeonggi Province where privileges and illegal methods do not work and where people living sincerely are not disadvantaged."

In particular, Governor Choo said, "Gyeonggi Province itself is facing very difficult fiscal circumstances. However, we cannot stop because times are hard. We must protect the lives of residents and prepare for our children's future. We will save what can be saved, reduce what can be reduced, and steadfastly maintain what must be done. We will tighten our belts with the determination to cut to the bone, but we will not stop preparing for the future," clearly expressing her resolve to overcome the fiscal crisis.

Governor Choo continued, "Gyeonggi Province must also become a community where no one despairs because of their starting point, no one is pushed out of the community because of hardship, and where the south and north, cities and rural areas, and different generations and classes share opportunities together," and emphasized, "Not taking lightly any single person's life, and embracing the lives of 14.2 million residents with different backgrounds within one Gyeonggi Province—that is the inclusiveness of Gyeonggi Province."