President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday paid tribute to fallen soldiers and independence fighters as he began his New Year's schedule. Lee, accompanied by senior aides and Cabinet members, laid flowers and burned incense at the memorial tower before observing a moment of silence at the Seoul National Cemetery in southern Seoul, the presidential office said. In the visitors' book, Lee wrote that he would open "the first year of a great leap forward for the Republic of Korea in a world where we live together," using South Korea's official name.