President Lee Sends Chuseok Gifts Featuring Regional Specialties Across Society, Wishing for 'National Unity'

Cheong Wa Dae announced today (September 16) that ahead of the Chuseok holiday, President Lee Jae-myung sent gifts wishing for national unity and peace to people across various sectors of society.

The recipients include prominent figures from various fields who have contributed to the country's development, national heroes and persons of national merit who dedicated themselves to the nation, and vulnerable members of society.

This year as well, gifts are being delivered to the bereaved families of industrial disaster victims.

Cheong Wa Dae explained that this reflects the administration's firm commitment to building a society where anyone can work safely.

This year's Chuseok gifts were comprised of regional specialties produced in the "5 Mega-Regions (Capital area, Southeastern area, Daegu-Gyeongbuk area, Central area, Honam area) and 3 Special Regions (Gangwon, Jeonbuk, Jeju)" to convey the significance of balanced regional development, coexistence, and unity.

First, representative traditional liquors from the Yeongnam and Honam regions—Igangju (Jeonju, North Jeolla Province) and Andong Soju (Andong, North Gyeongsang Province)—were placed side by side in the gift package.

Additionally, dried edible greens that can be used in holiday dishes, including thistle (Jeongseon, Gangwon Province), bracken (Jeju), and sliced shiitake mushrooms (Jangheung, South Jeolla Province), were included, as well as snacks for families to enjoy, such as chestnut chips (Chungju, North Chungcheong Province), jujube chips (Miryang, South Gyeongsang Province), and red ginseng slices (Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province).

In this regard, Cheong Wa Dae emphasized, "This reflects the president's wish to achieve coexistence and unity across regions and generations by gathering specialties from the 5 mega-regions and 3 special regions together, moving toward a Republic of Korea where all citizens thrive together."

In a message included in the card accompanying the gift, President Lee pledged, "I wish you a precious Hangawi spent checking in on those you miss and sharing happiness with your loved ones," adding, "Just as the moon lights up the night for everyone without any qualification or condition, I will run even harder to shine a bright light on the lives of all citizens."

Meanwhile, President Lee also plans to deliver Chuseok gifts to former presidents and their spouses.

The recipients are former Presidents Moon Jae-in, Park Geun-hye, and Lee Myung-bak, as well as Kwon Yang-sook, the spouse of the late former President Roh Moo-hyun, Kim Ok-suk, the spouse of the late former President Roh Tae-woo, and Lee Soon-ja, the spouse of the late former President Chun Doo-hwan.

Kim Tae-geun, Cheong Wa Dae Secretary for Local Autonomy and Development, will visit their private residences and other locations to present the gifts.

However, former President Yoon Suk Yeol, who is currently imprisoned, was excluded from the recipients of this holiday gift.

(Photo: KTV capture, courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.