- Pan-citizen promotion council recites “Proposal of National Memorial Day Designation” -

- Decision made to hold various commemoration events during the Commemoration Week for the 74th Anniversary of Incheon Landing Operation in September -

The local community of Incheon has initiated a movement to propose the designation of Sep. 15, Incheon Landing Day, as a national memorial day.

<Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon, is giving his welcome speech at the “74th Incheon Landing Operation Commemoration Ceremony’s Pan-Citizen Promoting Council Progress Briefing,” held on May 20 at the City Hall’s auditorium.>

Incheon Metropolitan City stated that the members of the Pan-citizen Promotion Council delivered their “Proposal of National Memorial Day Designation” to Yoo Jeong-bok, Mayor of Incheon and the joint representative of the Pan-Citizen Promotion Council, and its other members at the progress briefing of the commemoration ceremony for the 74th anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation, held on May 20 at the City Hall’s auditorium. The city government plans to distribute the proposal to its relevant departments.

The members said, “The spirit of freedom and peace that soldiers from the Korean military and joint UN forces protected with their lives and blood has become a legacy unto itself for Korean citizens, allowing the country to stand tall as a pillar that upholds world peace.” They added, “Incheon Landing Operation was the drastic turning point of protecting liberty and peace for humanity and the first step that enabled the victory of the righteous side to be written in history.” They went on, saying, “The designation of Incheon Landing Operation D-day will be an opportunity to commemorate the day of protecting freedom and peace, looking back at how the Korean military fought alongside the joint UN forces.”

Later, the briefing continued with a performance report on the commemoration ceremony for the 73rd anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation, a presentation on the implementation plan for the 2024 event for the 74th anniversary, a lecture on hopes for peace, and a Q&A session.

Incheon Metropolitan City has designated the Commemoration Week for the 74th Anniversary of Incheon Landing Operation for seven days from Sep. 6–12, expecting to hold various events, including the commemoration ceremony, parade to celebrate the Incheon Landing Operation, the Incheon Peace Security Forum, UNI (Incheon) Peace Camp with international students from countries who joined the UN Forces (22 countries) to fight in the Korean War, 2024 Unification Conference for the Youth, and Peace Painting Contest.

In particular, the city government will expand the programs for citizens’ participation and hold an on-land memorial ceremony to enhance their access to the event. The city government will also distribute events evenly to gu and gun-level districts according to each region’s characteristics to prepare a multi-faceted event to draw interest from many citizens. This year’s event will also host the memorial ceremony for Incheon natives who lost their lives at the Wolmi-do Island Native Victims’ Memorial Monument.

Mayor Yoo and the co-representative of the Pan-citizen Promotion Council, said, “In line with last year’s event, this year’s Incheon Landing Operation Commemoration Ceremony will be a mass-scale event, and it will become an international ceremony from the 75th anniversary in 2025,” insisting, “We ask the Pan-citizen Promotion Council members not to spare their love and support, as we will surely need their active cooperation for a successful event.”

The pan-citizen promotion council was established in May 2023, comprised of Mayor Yoo, former Deputy Prime Minster of Society and Minister of Education Hwang Woo-yeo, and former Marine Corps Commander and current chair professor of Dankook University Kim In-shik, as joint representatives around other 80 members, including Incheon’s elderly citizens from various areas and classes, representatives of relevant institutes and organizations, and leading figures of religions, academia, and the press. 

<On Sep. 15, 2023, out on the sea near Palmi-do Island, the “Commemoration Ceremony for the 73rd Anniversary of the Incheon Landing Operation Victory” was held.>

• Events of Commemoration Week for the 74th Anniversary of Incheon Landing Operation
  
  • (Period) Sep. 6 (Fri) - 12, 2024 (Thu) [7 days] 
  • (Location) Inner Harbor Dock 1 and Dock 8, Songdo Convensia, Wolmi-do Island and surrounding areas, etc.
  • (Participants) Over 60,000 (participants in various auxiliary events)
  • (Event Details) Memorial ceremony, parade celebrating Incheon Landing Operation, Incheon Peace Security Forum, Peace Painting Contest,
    UNI (Incheon) Peace Camp with international students from countries who joined the UN Forces (22 countries)
    “Operation Chromite" the Story of That Day, various participatory events for citizens, etc.
  • (Hosted by) Incheon Metropolitan City and ROK Navy Headquarters