"Light" was the most frequently used word in the 5,500-character message, followed by"Independence," "Peace," and "Democracy."

The foreign message also emphasized "dialogue and cooperation"... The 25-minute speech received about 25 rounds of applause.

(Seoul = Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Sang-hyun = The key words that ran through President Lee Jae-myung's 80th anniversary Liberation Day speech were 'light' and 'peace.'

The government focused on emphasizing that it was a government that had overcome martial law and civil war, while also sending a forward-looking message to the outside world.

The president appeared at the celebration ceremony held at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts on the morning of the 15th wearing a dark suit and a blue, red, and white tie.

It was a tie design worn on occasions such as the inauguration day briefing on June 4th, symbolizing 'unity'.

His wife, Kim Hye-kyung, who also attended, wore a white hanbok.

The president's speech, which lasted about 25 minutes, was about 5,500 characters long.

In this speech by the president, the word “light” appears a total of 19 times, excluding general words such as “people,” “government,” and “country.”

In his congratulatory address, the president emphasized,"The light of independence that our ancestors regained and the light of democracy that our people achieved will become the guiding light that illuminates our future."

Next, independence (14 times), peace (12 times), democracy (11 times), future (11 times), and sovereignty (7 times) were the most common.

He highlighted the achievements of the people with terms such as “democratization,” “democratic nation,” “democratization movement,” and “democratic republic,” and in his external messages to North Korea, Japan, and others, he emphasized cooperation and dialogue, focusing on peace rather than conflict.

The words"freedom" and "unification," which were prominent in the previous administration's celebratory speeches, were used significantly less frequently, each appearing twice. Furthermore, the terms"North" and "North side" were used instead of "North Korea."

Applause erupted from the audience about 25 times during President Lee's speech, including the part where he emphasized proper treatment of those who contributed to independence.

Meanwhile, Ahn Cheol-soo, a candidate running in the People Power Party leadership election, stood up while President Lee was giving his speech and held up a placard with the words, “Oppose pardoning Cho Kuk and Yoon Mee-hyang,” in protest.

This year's celebration was held under the theme,"The Light We Find Together, Illuminating the Republic of Korea."

Eighty Taegeukgi flags were displayed on the stage, and 80 descendants of independence activists appeared on stage, adding to the symbolism of the 80th anniversary.

Actor Jo Jin-woong, who participated in the repatriation of General Hong Beom-do's remains, recited the"Pledge to the National Flag." Later in the event, scenes from the independence movement film"Assassination," starring Jo Jin-woong and Jun Ji-hyun, were shown on a large screen.

The president personally presented awards to five descendants of independence activists, including Kim Jong-min, a descendant of the late Lee Eun-sook, who dedicated themselves to restoring national sovereignty in North Jeolla Province and other regions. Including them, 311 independence activists have received government awards.