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President Lee starts 2026 with visit to Seoul National Cemetery

Published: 01 Jan. 2026, 13:20 Updated: 01 Jan. 2026, 18:45

President Lee Jae Myung visits Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak District on Jan. 1. [BLUE HOUSE]

President Lee Jae Myung began the new year on Thursday with a visit to the Seoul National Cemetery.

In a written briefing, presidential spokesperson Kim Nam-jun said Lee started his official schedule for the first day of 2026 by paying respects at the cemetery.

Lee was accompanied by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, cabinet ministers and senior officials.

The president laid a wreath and offered incense at the Memorial Tower. He observed a moment of silence to honor fallen independence fighters and war dead.

He then signed the guest book. “Together, we will open the first year of a great leap forward for the Republic of Korea,” he wrote. “We will do it with the people.”

President Lee Jae Myung, third from left, receives his breakfast at a cafeteria inside the Blue House, central Seoul on Jan. 1. [BLUE HOUSE]

After the ceremony, Lee had breakfast with attendees at the presidential staff cafeteria. They shared rice cake soup and exchanged New Year’s greetings.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]