By Lee Kap-soo

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee attended a luncheon meeting for compatriots of the atomic bomb victims at the Presidential official residence on the afternoon of September 29, Chuseok, the second day of the six-day Chuseok holiday. As the president shook hands with compatriots, they stood up to greet him with loud applause.

The President met with the atomic bomb survivors for the first time as a South Korean president in Hiroshima on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in May, and said he would invite them to South Korea in the near future, and he fulfilled that promise with this invitation.

The President consoled those present, noting that tens of thousands of Koreans lost their lives and homes to the atomic bombing in Hiroshima 78 years ago, and that their grief and suffering was compounded by the fact that it was inflicted on their homeland during the colonial era. 

The President said that the Korean government will not turn a blind eye to the suffering of its compatriots, and hoped that this visit would bring some comfort to the grief of the victims of the atomic bombing.

The President also said that his visit to the Korean atomic bomb victims' memorial in Hiroshima with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida in May was to honor the victims of the atomic bombing and pledge to build a future of peace and prosperity together, adding that his government will continue to promote peace and prosperity in the region in cooperation with Japan, which shares the values of freedom, human rights, and the rule of law.

Hiroshima native Kwon Jun-oh, chairman of the Korean Special Committee for Victims of the Atomic Bombing, made a speech on behalf of compatriots. Kwon said he was grateful and honored that President and Mrs. Yoon kept the promise they made in Hiroshima in May.

Kwon said that the fact that they jointly visited the memorial with Prime Minister Kishida and his wife made headlines in Japan, and that the Japanese people around them responded that a new era has come to Japan-Korea relations, giving them hope that they can now live in a better environment.

The meeting was a meaningful occasion for the Atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and their compatriots living in Korea to express their gratitude with Chuseok food and feel the warmth of their homeland and the holiday atmosphere.

Yoo Young-hee, secretary general of the Korea Atomic Bomb Survivors Association, said that she was very grateful to be invited to such an honorable event after being marginalized for 78 years. She said that her two older sisters and her parents were victims, but they were living in hiding, unable to say that they were victims, so she was grateful that the organization organized this event today.

Kim Hwa-ja, former vice chairperson of the Hiroshima Prefectural Headquarters of the Women's Federation of Korea, said that she was bombed in Hiroshima when she was 4 years old, and although she was only 4 years old, she had a clear memory of it. She cried, saying that she was honored to be in this position after having to hide the fact that she was a first-generation atomic bomb survivor.

Kim then introduced the story of Ms. Sadako Sasaki, who had been hospitalized from elementary school due to radiation exposure. Her brother, who was a classmate, visited her in the hospital and told her, "If you fold a thousand paper cranes, you will live for a thousand years," and that "if you fold a thousand paper cranes, even if you don't live for a thousand years, you will get better," but that was the last time they met, Kim said.

Kim said that as a Korean and a survivor of the atomic bombing, she sincerely appreciated the President and his wife's visit to the memorial to Korean atomic bomb victims.

The luncheon menu included samsaekjeon, traditional japchae, steamed abalone, grilled tteokgalbi, beef muguk, yakgwa, songpyeon, and rice wine, allowing the compatriots to feel the atmosphere of the Chuseok holiday in their homeland.

In addition, the compatriots were able to feel the spirit of their homeland by watching cultural performances such as the Gayageum Trio, Fan Dance, and Gyeonggi folk songs such as Arirang, performed by the Korea Cultural Foundation Arts Troupe, and baritone Kim Dong-gyu's nostalgic Geumgangsan. Afterward, a group photo was taken to commemorate the important meeting.

Before departing, the President greeted the compatriots, saying, "I hope that during your stay in Korea, you will experience the development of your country and enjoy the autumnal atmosphere of your homeland." The compatriots responded with loud applause.