Chungnam Governor Park Su-hyun attended the "Memorial Ceremony for Forced Laborers during the Japanese Colonial Period and the 2026 Labor-Management Harmony Mind-Gathering Festival" held at the Garden of Gratitude at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan on the 17th, paying tribute to the victims and expressing his commitment to labor respect and labor-management coexistence.

Hosted by the Federation of Korean Trade Unions (FKTU) Chungnam-Sejong Regional Headquarters, the event drew approximately 500 participants, including Governor Park, FKTU Chungnam-Sejong Regional Headquarters Chairman Go Seok-hee, and workers, management, and family members from affiliated workplaces.

The event proceeded in the order of the memorial ceremony for forced laborers, the labor-management harmony festival, and a walk along the maple tree forest path.

During the memorial ceremony, participants honored the spirits of the victims who had to endure harsh labor and discrimination in unfamiliar foreign lands through silent tribute, memorial addresses, eulogies, and laying flowers and incense.

The number of confirmed victims of forced mobilization during the Japanese colonial period within the province reaches 9,823.

In 2023, labor circles and civil society erected a statue of a forced mobilization laborer at the Garden of Gratitude in the Independence Hall of Korea to remember this painful history and restore the honor of the victims.

In his eulogy, Governor Park said, "With a heavy heart, I reflect on the sorrow of those who had to endure harsh labor in coal mines, metal mines, and factories in unfamiliar lands, leaving behind their hometowns and families," adding, "I offer my deepest condolences to the bereaved families who have lived with sorrow for a long time."

He continued, "Inscribed on the forced labor statue is the promise that we will not forget the stolen lives of our ancestors and that we will build a society for future generations that respects human dignity," emphasizing that "keeping that promise is the responsibility of all of us gathered here today."

Governor Park also stated, "Just as we must face the tragedies of the past so we do not repeat shameful history, we will compile the unhealed history of Chungnam, including forced mobilization, in consultation with the Chungnam Institute and the Chungnam Institute of History and Culture," and added, "We will fully reveal the reality of the damage from forced mobilization so that the next generation remembers the history of our ancestors, and we will build a society where human dignity and the value of labor are respected."

Following the memorial ceremony, the labor-management harmony festival featured the presentation of commendations for best practices in labor-management harmony and a "Declaration of Action for Realizing a Labor-Respecting Society."

The provincial government plans to continue communicating and cooperating with the labor sector while striving to protect workers' rights and interests and create safe and healthy working environments.

At the event, Governor Park declared, "Minseon 9th-term Chungnam is 'Chungnam that communicates with workers,'" and stated, "Throughout my term, we will create a 'pro-labor local government' that listens to the voices of workers."

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