President Lee: 'I Will Uphold DJ's Philosophy... Transforming People's Lives Through Growth and Inclusion'

Marking the 17th anniversary of the passing of former President Kim Dae-jung, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "I will always keep the great milestone of Kim Dae-jung in my heart and move forward without hesitation, no matter what trials we face."

President Lee delivered this message in a memorial address at the commemoration ceremony held at the Seoul National Cemetery in the morning, saying, "The President's insight and pioneer spirit serve as the clearest guidepost showing the direction South Korea must take."

The memorial address was read on his behalf by Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President.

"I offer my deep condolences before the noble spirit of former President Kim Dae-jung, our great teacher who thought only of the people and democracy," President Lee said, honoring the late president by adding, "These days, we miss him dearly—the leader who overcame unprecedented crises and led us onto the path of a new leap forward."

President Lee diagnosed, "The reality we face today is just as grave. Economic uncertainty is mounting amid the reshuffling of the international order and the turbulence of a great industrial transformation, and the shadow of long-accumulated polarization remains deep."

He continued, "The fiercer the trials, the more we reflect on the President's insight and footsteps. The President was a visionary who looked far into the future early on."

In particular, President Lee pledged to inherit the former president's spirit and focus on "growth" and "inclusion," stating, "Using growth that drives a leap forward and inclusion that shares warmth as our two main pillars, we will bring about practical changes in the lives of every single citizen."

Regarding growth, President Lee explained, "[President Kim] laid the foundation for a knowledge-information powerhouse by building a nationwide high-speed information and communication network even while reviving a country facing national distress, and he planted the seeds of K-culture. The National Sovereignty Government will also inherit that vision to lead the massive waves of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution and energy transition."

He went on to promise, "By securing super-gap technologies and building a new industrial ecosystem, we will vigorously turn the engine of growth and march unhesitatingly toward becoming an 'irreplaceable South Korea' that no one on the global stage can easily look down upon."

Regarding inclusion, he stated, "We will also carry on the President's philosophy of warmly embracing the lives of the people. We will reflect on his deep vision when he enacted the National Basic Living Security Act—declaring that 'welfare is not charity, but a right of the people and a productive investment'—even during times when state finances were extremely difficult."

He emphasized, "We will never forget for a moment that the government's duty is to lift the heavily cast shadow of polarization, build a sturdy safety net that solidly supports the lives of all citizens, and ensure that the fruits of growth are distributed evenly among all the people."

President Lee stated, "I will fulfill my responsibility in state affairs through action rather than words, and through results rather than slogans," while asking former President Kim, "Please warmly look over the future of South Korea and the lives of our people from heaven as well."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.