Guest Editorial Writer. ROK Military Academy Class of '78

On September 3, 2025, a commemorative military parade is scheduled in Beijing, China, to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. It is reported that the Lee Jae-myung administration will send the Speaker of the National Assembly to this event. This is not merely a diplomatic participation, but another diplomatic disaster that shakes the nation's identity and historical legitimacy. This event should not be attended by anyone, as it represents a betrayal of past security history, a contradiction of the present, and a strategic failure for the future.

The nations attending China's Victory Day in 2025 are expected to be those politically and economically close to China, centered around Russia, such as Central Asian, African, and some Southeast Asian countries, similar to the 70th-anniversary celebration in 2015. Western democratic countries, led by the United States, are likely to either not attend or send low-ranking diplomats if they do attend. This event is assessed as a gathering of like-minded nations centered around the Chinese Communist Party.

Whether to attend China's Victory Day will be a test of national stature, choosing between subservience and national dignity. Let's examine the reasons why we should not attend the 80th anniversary of China's Victory Day.

1. China's Victory Day is Political Propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party that Distorts History

During World War II, the primary force engaged in direct combat with the Japanese military was not Mao Zedong's Chinese Communist Party (CCP), but Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalist Party (KMT, ROC). On September 2, 1945, when Japan signed the instrument of surrender on the USS Missouri, Douglas MacArthur, as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, signed on behalf of the Allied nations. Following the signature of General Xu Yongchang, a representative of the Nationalist Party (Republic of China), representatives from eight victorious nations signed. At that time, the current People's Republic of China had not even been established. The People's Republic of China was founded on October 1, 1949, four years after the surrender ceremony.

Therefore, China's current claim to be a 'victorious nation' in 1945 and its commemoration of September 3rd is a theft of historical facts and merely a political reconstruction where the Chinese Communist Party has usurped the achievements of the Nationalist Party. Attending this event is an act of denying the history of the Nationalist Party, which supported the Provisional Government, the constitutional lineage of the Republic of Korea, and an endorsement of the Chinese Communist Party's false claims.

2. Attending Victory Day is an Act of Undermining National Identity by Commemorating an Enemy Force

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), the main entity of the military parade, is a clear enemy and a war criminal group that invaded the Korean Peninsula under the name of the "People's Volunteer Army" (CPV) during the Korean War, taking countless lives of ROK soldiers and citizens and obstructing North-South unification. For the Speaker of the National Assembly, who ranks second in the ROK's order of precedence, to observe a military parade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, which invaded us, is an anti-national act that tramples on national dignity and insults the patriotic martyrs and Korean War veterans.

We should no longer be a mere bystander to the Chinese Communist Party's 'false victory.' Participating in a Victory Day celebration that distorts history is an act of abandoning national identity. By not attending China's Victory Day, we must break the chains of subservience and restore the dignity of a sovereign nation standing on the side of freedom and truth.

3. Attending Victory Day is Subservient Diplomacy and Offers No Strategic National Interest

In 2015, former President Park Geun-hye attended Victory Day based on the anachronistic plan of the then Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of National Security for a 'strategic cooperative partnership between South Korea and China.' However, the anticipated North Korean nuclear issue was not resolved. The following year, in 2016, after South Korea's decision to deploy THAAD, China imposed strong economic and cultural retaliations, including the "Hallyu Ban" (Korean Wave Ban), Lotte retaliations, and tourism restrictions. This clearly showed that China used South Korea for its political propaganda during Victory Day and did not treat us with genuine respect or reciprocity.

Academia and the media criticized this as "subservient diplomacy that yielded no strategic benefits." Lee Jae-myung declared at CSIS, a key think tank in Washington D.C., that the era of "security in America, economy in China" (Anmi-Gyeongjung) is over. The old formula of 'security with the U.S., economy with China' is no longer valid, and diplomacy that abandons values and principles ultimately leads to losses in national interest.

4. On Victory Day, Let's Host a 'Freedom Defense International Solidarity Forum' Inviting Korean War Participating Nations

Moving forward, on Victory Day, we should host a 'Freedom Defense International Solidarity Forum' inviting nations that participated in the Korean War, and demonstrate South Korea's values through actions such as ROK-U.S.-Japan joint exercises and supply chain diversification strategies. This would be an opportune moment to consider a compensation system for three generations, similar to that for independence activists, as the highest level of respect for Korean War veterans.

In all aspects—history, identity, security, and diplomacy—by not attending the futile Chinese Victory Day, South Korea must choose an independent identity and national dignity, not subservience to China. Through dignified diplomacy that stands on the side of freedom and truth, we must enhance South Korea's standing and open up the future.

South Korea must now transform from a mere pawn moving according to China's interests to a player engaging in a strategic game with China on an equal footing. The United States and Western countries will be watching to see if the Lee Jae-myung administration properly upholds its commitments made in the U.S. The Lee Jae-myung administration must overcome the image of being pro-China and subservient to China in one fell swoop by not attending China's Victory Day.