President Roh Moo-hyun Friday praised the spirit of the April 19 revolution in a ceremony marking the 43rd anniversary of the student uprising held at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul.

In a congratulatory message at the national prayer meeting, Roh said that based on the spirit of the April 19 revolution, the Participatory Government will firmly safeguard democracy and peace on the Korean Peninsula, noting that the student uprising was a watershed moment in the nation's historic movement towards democracy.

Roh, a former human rights lawyer, added that the government would promote an era of peace and prosperity throughout Northeast Asia by resolving the North Korean nuclear standoff in a peaceful manner.

Roh is scheduled to visit the National Cemetery in Suyuri, in northeastern Seoul, Saturday, and comfort the families of those who died during the uprising.