It is with profound humility and a deep sense of responsibility that I stand before you today as the Director of the United Nations Peace Memorial.

This appointment is not a personal honor.
It is, above all, an acceptance of responsibility a responsibility to history, to humanity, and to future generations.

Busan is not merely a city of the past.
It is a city that stood firm when the Korean War reached its darkest hour, a place where freedom survived because young men and women from 22 nations crossed oceans they did not know, to defend a country they had never seen.

The United Nations Peace Memorial is therefore not simply a museum.
It is a place that asks essential questions: Why did they come?, What did they sacrifice?
And what choices must we make today in response to their sacrifice?
Memory does not sustain itself. Without care, it fades. Without reflection, it becomes distorted.
For this reason, the mission of this institution is not only to preserve the past, but to transform memory into ethics, and remembrance into education.

As Director, my vision is clear.
This memorial must not be a place that merely explains war, but a place that teaches peace.
Not a space that looks only backward, but one that prepares humanity for wiser choices ahead.

Especially for younger generations, we must convey a crucial truth, peace is not a given condition, but a fragile achievement built upon courage, sacrifice, and moral responsibility.

Allow me to make three commitments today.

First,
we will preserve and present the history of UN participation in the Korean War with integrity free from political distortion, grounded in facts, and guided by respect for human dignity.

Second,
we will elevate the United Nations Peace Memorial into a leading center for peace education where students and citizens leave not only informed,
but transformed in how they view conflict, responsibility, and coexistence.

Third, from Busan, we will strengthen meaningful cooperation with the United Nations, with participating nations, and with the global community,
so that this memorial may serve as a living platform for international peace dialogue.

Peace does not begin with grand declarations.
It begins quietly in remembrance, in reflection,
and in the firm decision never to repeat the same tragic choices.

The United Nations Peace Memorial must be a place where such decisions are born.
As Director, I will work to ensure that this memorial is not a silent memorial, but a living space where education, dialogue, and international solidarity continue to grow.

Today marks not an end, but a beginning.
I pledge to walk this path with humility, together with the citizens of Busan, the people of Korea, and the global community.

Finally, I offer my deepest respect and gratitude to all those who gave their lives for peace on this land. May their sacrifice continue to guide our choices.

Thank you.

March 18h 2026
Director, United Nations Peace Memorial, Busan
JAE TAECK HUH, M.D., Ph.D