[Anchor]

President Lee Jae-myung presided over a Cabinet meeting in Sejong City, emphasizing his commitment to balanced regional development by vowing to open the era of the presidential office in Sejong during his term. He also urged meticulous administration, stating that policies should follow the people rather than forcing people to fit into administrative systems.

[Reporter]

Presiding over the Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex Sejong for the fourth time since taking office, President Lee Jae-myung stressed the necessity of balanced national development, pointing out that the capital-region-centric centralized system is the starting point of all current social problems in our country, including real estate, education, youth issues, and polarization.

[President Lee Jae-myung : Balanced national development is the key to curing these chronic ills of South Korea and opening an era of shared growth where every region enjoys equal opportunities to grow.]

He then instructed relevant ministries to accelerate the construction of the presidential office and the National Assembly Sejong Building so that Sejong City can establish itself as the central axis of balanced development.

[President Lee Jae-myung : We must do our utmost with the resolve to open the era of the Sejong presidential office within our administration's term and hold our final Cabinet meeting there as well.]

Noting that while the intense heatwave has subsided somewhat, sweltering weather continues, President Lee pointed out that society-wide efforts to improve systems are necessary in the era of climate disasters.

In particular, he called for meticulous administration, instructing authorities to actively review revisions to the minimum housing standards that take into account places like goshiwons and vinyl greenhouses.

[President Lee Jae-myung : Policies must adapt to the situations facing the people, and we must avoid the error of forcing people's lives to conform to existing systems.]

He also repeatedly mentioned suicide prevention measures, which he has consistently emphasized since taking office.

President Lee ordered systematic measures to clear unpayable debts—a major cause of suicide—to give debtors a second chance at recovery, and to establish a national care system to prevent family caregiving burdens from leading to suicide.

(Video by Jeong Sang-bo, Yoon Hyung | Video Editing by Lee Seung-jin)