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Top office to host Liberation Day ceremony with invites for every ex-president — almost

Published: 28 Jul. 2025, 18:53

President Lee Jae Myung speaks to Prime Minister Kim Min-seok at the presidential office building in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on July 28. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The presidential office is hosting a Liberation Day ceremony and will invite former presidents to the public ceremony marking Korea’s Liberation Day on Aug. 15 — with one major exception.

Former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife, Kim Keon Hee, will not be invited due to ongoing legal proceedings, the office said Monday.

“The ceremony will be held under the theme of a grand celebration of sovereignty,” said Woo Sang-ho, political affairs secretary, during a briefing at the Yongsan presidential office. “It is an open event that anyone can attend.”

The event, officially called the “public appointment ceremony,” will take place at 8 p.m. at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul. It is part of a larger celebration titled “80 Years of Liberation: Building the Future through Popular Sovereignty.”

Woo confirmed that all former presidents are being invited — except for Yoon and his spouse — “as they are either currently detained or under investigation.”

The ceremony is described as a symbol of the sovereignty of the Korean people, who directly elected the current president, Lee Jae Myung. Participants will also share their hopes and aspirations for the country’s future.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JEONG HYE-JEONG [[email protected]]