SENATORS’ STATEMENTS — Korean Heritage Month

First of all, Senator Saint-Germain, I want to thank you for your service and congratulate you on your retirement.

Honourable senators, I rise today with deep pride to celebrate October as Korean Heritage Month, marking our third annual observance since this chamber unanimously adopted the motion on June 4, 2024. Thank you for your support, dear colleagues.

On October 5, 2026, we gathered on Parliament Hill for our third annual Korea Day on the Hill. We began the morning with a powerful and moving tradition, raising the Taegeukgi side by side with the Canadian flag. As those banners fluttered in the autumn air, they served as a living testament to the full arc of our shared history.

After a delicious lunch reception in the Senators’ Lounge and a stop at the National War Memorial for a wreath laying to honour the Canadian fallen and those who served in Korea, everyone attended the finale of the day: a grand celebration of the National Foundation Day and Armed Forces Day of Korea and Korean Heritage Month in the Sir John A. Macdonald Building on the Hill.

A special thank you to Speaker Raymonde Gagné for being the guest of honour and delivering a beautiful, heartfelt speech.

We remembered the profound sacrifices of the Korean War, where brave Canadians fought shoulder to shoulder with Korean forces, forging an unbreakable bond born of courage and shared humanity.

That blood alliance during the war has blossomed over the decades into a vibrant comprehensive and strategic partnership of today. Our nations are bound together by diplomacy, thriving trade, cultural exchange and an enduring friendship between Canada and the Republic of Korea. Yet, the true heartbeat of this relationship is not just found in treaties or statecraft; it lives and breathes in our people.

From the very first Canadians who set foot on Korean soil in 1888 to the generations of immigrants who arrived with little more than a suitcase and a dream, Korean Canadians have woven themselves deeply into the fabric of our nation. From coast to coast to coast, they have built homes, raised families and strengthened our communities.

Korean Heritage Month is far more than a commemoration. It is a tribute to those who served and sacrificed their lives in Korea, the pioneers and pathfinders who came before us, a joyful celebration of the vibrant Korean-Canadian community of today and a sacred promise to carry this legacy forward for generations to come. Thank you. Gamsahamnida.