The nation held a ceremony to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the death of former president Kim Dae-jung.

The memorial service took place at Seoul National Cemetery at 10 a.m. Sunday, bringing together about 600 people, including National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik and the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties.

In the ceremony, Woo said that Kim's life was a series of severe hardships and adversity, but no persecution could break his belief in democratization.

The assembly speaker said that even in the dark days of military dictatorship 30 years ago, Kim believed in history and the people, and his name became a symbol of resistance and democracy, adding he ultimately became a leading figure in the victory of democracy.

Ruling People Power Party Chairman Han Dong-hoon said that the former president was a more bipartisan politician than any other politician in 2024, adding that if the politicians put into practice the words of the former president, they will be able to make the country much better than it is now.

Main opposition Democratic Party acting chair Park Chan-dae said that, as the former president had said, the DP will not compromise with injustice, stop the tyrannical rule of the Yoon Suk Yeol government and protect the country from crisis.