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President Lee Jae-myung takes the oath of office during the 21st presidential inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly on June 4. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung will hold a “People’s Appointment Ceremony” at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul on August 15, coinciding with the 80th Liberation Day celebrations, the presidential office announced on Monday.

Woo Sang-ho, senior presidential secretary for political affairs, said in a briefing that Lee, who took his oath of office without a formal inauguration ceremony on June 4, had promised to hold a separate event with the public. “The ceremony will take place at 8 p.m. on August 15 at Gwanghwamun Square as part of the Liberation Day commemorations,” Woo said.

Around 10,000 citizens will be invited, including those born in 1945, representatives from 12 companies first listed on the Korea Exchange in 1956, figures involved in the founding of KAIST in 1971, and members of the 1977 expedition that first scaled Mount Everest. The invitation list also includes independence activists, national merit honorees, and citizens recognized for safeguarding constitutional order and exercising their democratic rights.

Woo emphasized that the event would reaffirm that “the people are the sovereign of the nation” and serve as an occasion for the president to pledge his commitment to lead Korea as a “global pioneer nation.” He added that the 10,000 invitees would be seated within the security perimeter, but the event would remain open for all citizens outside the cordoned area to participate and enjoy.

Foreign dignitaries will not be invited, as Woo clarified, “This is not an official presidential inauguration.” However, he noted that some domestic delegations would attend a pre-event dinner.

Former President Moon Jae-in and other ex-presidents will be invited, but former President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife were excluded “due to his current detention and ongoing investigations.”