Speech by Mayor Jan van Zanen at the Commemoration of Yi Jun, 30 Years Yi Jun Peace Museum, and 80 Years Liberation of Korea – July 12, 2025

Ambassador Hong,

Mr. and Mrs. Lee,

Distinguished guests,

Thank you very much for the invitation to attend the annual commemoration of the Korean judge and diplomat Yi Jun. This hero of the Korean people came to The Hague in 1907 to participate in the Second Hague Peace Conference and to plead the case for Korean independence. His initiative reflects his deep passion for the concept of international legal order—a system based on law and accountability rather than armed conflict and occupation.

This year’s Yi Jun commemoration is a special one. We celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Yi Jun Peace Museum on Wagenstraat in The Hague and mark 80 years since Korea’s liberation from Japanese occupation.

On several occasions, I’ve had the pleasure of visiting the Yi Jun Museum in The Hague. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have become well-known and appreciated acquaintances. Your dedication to Korea, to Yi Jun, and to the museum is deeply impressive. For The Hague, as the international city of peace and justice, it is significant that you continue to tell Yi Jun’s story here on Wagenstraat.

My connection to Korea predates my time as mayor of The Hague. Previously, I served as mayor of Utrecht, and before that, Amstelveen. The latter is well known for its large Japanese community, but it is less known that the Korean community is also well represented there. Former adversaries, now living together in Amstelveen—so I have had a connection to your country for quite some time.

Korea continues to enjoy a great deal of interest in the Netherlands. As King Willem-Alexander mentioned during the visit of President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife: we listen to K-pop, eat kimchi instead of sauerkraut, and drive Korean cars. We collaborate on sustainable energy, green agriculture, and high-tech innovation. This reflects how often we appreciate and develop the same cultural expressions and products.

Although we are geographically far apart, we are close in spirit. That bond will be reaffirmed and strengthened when Mayor Lee Jang Woo of the city of Daejeon visits our city. He currently serves as Executive President of UCLG and will succeed me in October as President of United Cities and Local Governments—the global network where cities share and advance their challenges and solutions.

Our commitment to sustainable peace was enshrined by cities in 2024 in The Hague Charter on Municipal Peace. It is a founding document for the event Peace Begins Here: Local Solutions for Conflict, part of the UCLG World Congress 2024 in The Hague, held under the title: A New Peace Agenda for Future Generations. It is a call for enduring peace from the ground up. Through livelihood security, sustainability, justice, and fair relations. From local communities to national governments and international partnerships.

Mayor Lee Jang Woo and I will undoubtedly also discuss the future of prosperity and stability in East Asia and the broader Indo-Pacific region. And it is reassuring to know that for thirty years now, the story of Yi Jun—of peace, justice, and the ties between our nations—has been told and will be told here in Wagenstraat, The Hague.

Thank you very much.