Full text: Lee Jae-myung's inaugural address

The following is an unofficial translation of President Lee Jae-myung’s inaugural address to the people, delivered Wednesday morning at the National Assembly. It was generated by AI and edited by The Korea Herald. — Ed.

Lee Jae-myung takes the oath as president of South Korea during his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul on Wednesday. (Yonhap)

Dear respected and beloved people of Korea,

I am Lee Jae-myung, the 21st President of the Republic of Korea, chosen by you.

I stand here with a boundless sense of responsibility and deep gratitude.

With the 52 million hopes and aspirations entrusted to me by our 52 million citizens, from today, I take the first step as the 21st President of the Republic of Korea toward building a true democratic republic.

The future is calling us.

It is time to revive people’s livelihoods on the brink, restore growth, and create a tomorrow where everyone can be happy.

It is time to rebuild national security and peace, which have become tools of political strife, people’s livelihoods and the economy, which have collapsed due to indifference, incompetence and irresponsibility, and democracy, which was shattered by armored vehicles and automatic rifles.

It is time to build bridges of coexistence, reconciliation, and solidarity over the hatred and confrontation that have divided us — and to open an era of national happiness filled with dreams and hope.

As the writer Han Kang once said, the past supported the present, and the dead saved the living.

Now, it is our turn to become the past of the future and save tomorrow’s descendants.

I make this promise before the people.

I will respond to your solemn mandate to let hope blossom over deep and painful wounds, and to your earnest wish for a completely new country.

Regardless of whom you supported in this election, I will become a “president for all,” embracing and serving every citizen, in keeping with the meaning of the word “daetongryeong” (“president” in Korean) that calls for broad national unity.

The Republic of Korea continues to make new history.

Among the nations freed from colonial rule, it is the only one to achieve both industrialization and democratization. It ranks 10th in global economic power,

boasts the world’s 5th strongest military, and leads global culture with K-culture.

This proud country of the East has now opened a new chapter in the history of world democracy, overpowering a military coup with nothing more than light sticks in hand.

The world watches in awe as we take this great journey and demonstrate the remarkable capabilities of the Korean people.

A colorful light revolution, K-democracy, has become a clear model for people worldwide seeking new hope for democracy in crisis.

Dear citizens,

We now stand at a major turning point.

Old orders are receding, and a new era — a civilizational transformation — is unfolding.

We are entering a new scientific and technological era never before experienced, an age of limitless AI competition, where change happens in the blink of an eye.

The climate crisis threatens humanity and presses for industrial transition.

Rapid changes in the global order, including rising protectionism and supply chain realignments, threaten our survival.

If we fall behind, we will be dragged by change.

But if we lead it, the opportunities will be boundless.

Regrettably, at this critical juncture, we face complex, intertwined crises in every area — people’s livelihoods, the economy, diplomacy, security and democracy. The present and future of Korea are both at risk.

To rescue the lives of weary citizens, to restore democracy and peace, to recover growth and our damaged national dignity, will require unimaginable sweat, tears and patience.

But just like a rose blooming in June finds sunlight even in the shadow of a wall, our people, even amid chaos and despair, have found the way forward.

I will take the people’s will as my compass, and move forward — over high mountains and through thorny paths if needed.

We will begin by restoring livelihoods and reviving the economy.

With the resolve to battle a recession head-on, we will immediately activate an emergency economic response task force. We will use national finances as a priming pump to restart a virtuous economic cycle.

This newly launched administration of the Democratic Party and President Lee Jae-myung will be a just and inclusive government, as well as a flexible and pragmatic one.

Integration is a sign of competence; division is the result of incompetence.

Only political forces lacking the will and ability to improve people’s lives divide and sow hatred to maintain power.

I will be a president who ends the politics of division.

We will overcome this crisis through national unity.

We will restore what was lost to the insurrection, including people’s livelihoods, the economy, national security, peace, and democracy, and build a society of continuous growth and progress.

An insurrection that uses the people’s entrusted weapons to steal their sovereignty must never happen again.

We will uncover the full truth, hold those responsible accountable, and establish firm measures to prevent recurrence.

On the foundation of coexistence and integration, we will restore communication and dialogue, and revive politics based on compromise and mutual concession.

Let us consign outdated ideologies to the museum of history.

From now on, there is no issue of progressivism.

From now on, there is no issue of conservatism.

There are only the people’s issues — only the problems of Korea.

Whether from Park Chung-hee or Kim Dae-jung, if a policy is necessary and useful, we will use it without discrimination.

The Lee Jae-myung government will be a pragmatic, market-oriented government.

We will not control and manage, but support and encourage.

We will shift to a “negative list” regulatory system to ensure free and creative corporate activity.

We will strongly support entrepreneurs so they can start businesses, grow and compete in the global market.

But we will not tolerate gains made by breaking the rules, oppressing the weak, threatening lives, safety, or workers’ rights, or manipulating markets through stock fraud.

There must be no cases where those who follow the rules suffer losses.

To drive innovation and future growth, we must build a nation where everyone’s basic living conditions are guaranteed, and where thick social safety nets allow people to take bold risks.

Both individuals and the country must grow in order to share.

Through pragmatic, national-interest-centered diplomacy, we will turn the crisis of global economic and security shifts into opportunities to maximize national interests.

We will strengthen the US-Korea alliance, bolster Korea-US-Japan cooperation based on it, and manage relations with neighboring countries from a practical, national-interest perspective.

We will expand Korea’s diplomatic reach and global stature to broaden our economic territory worldwide.

Respected citizens,

The great revolution of light does not conclude with ending the insurrection. It commands us to build a new, shining nation. I solemnly accept the people’s mandate to build a hopeful new country.

First, we will build a true nation where “the people are sovereign.”

The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic, and sovereignty rests with the people.

We will communicate everywhere and always, and ensure the people’s sovereign will is routinely reflected in governance.

We will unwaveringly pursue the tasks of social reform raised in the plaza of light.

Second, we will build a country of renewed growth and progress.

As inequality deepens and the vicious circle of disparity blocks growth, low growth reduces opportunity, leaving only winner-takes-all competition.

Young people are driven to the extremes — men vs. women.

A society where falling behind means death meets divisive politics and gives rise to extremism that threatens social cohesion.

We will usher in a better world through “fair growth,” which creates new engines and shares the opportunities and outcomes of growth.

Just as older generations sacrificed and sent their children to school despite poverty, we will prepare for the future through bold public investment and support.

With large-scale investments in advanced industries like AI and semiconductors, we will leap forward as an industrial powerhouse.

We will swiftly transition to a renewable energy society to respond to the global climate crisis, boost corporate competitiveness through energy independence and RE100 compliance, and revitalize declining regions by building an energy superhighway that enables renewable energy production anywhere in the country.

Third, we will build a country where all live well together.

Lacking in natural resources, the Republic of Korea achieved rapid growth to become the world’s 10th-largest economy through an unbalanced development strategy that concentrated investment in specific regions, industries, and social groups.

But today, unbalanced growth has reached its limit.

Inequality and polarization now hinder further progress.

Sustainable growth now requires a strategic shift.

We must pursue balanced development, fair growth, and a just society.

We will move beyond Seoul-centered development and foster an industrial ecosystem where large, medium, small, and startup firms cooperate.

We will transition to a fair society without privileged status or special favors.

Sharing the benefits and opportunities of growth is the path to sustainability.

Growth and distribution are not contradictions — they complement each other.

Corporate development and respect for labor can fully coexist.

Fourth, we will build a country where culture flourishes.

Baekbeom Kim Koo once said, “the one thing I desire endlessly is the power of high culture.” That dream is now becoming reality.

From K-pop and K-dramas to K-movies, K-beauty, and K-food — Korean culture is captivating the world.

Culture is economy. Culture is global competitiveness.

We will link this cultural wave to cultural industry growth and good jobs.

We will expand Korea’s cultural industries and invest boldly in arts and culture to become a cultural powerhouse that sets global standards — one of the world’s top five soft power nations.

Fifth, we will build a safe and peaceful country.

Safety and peace are prerequisites for national happiness.

Safety is livelihood, and peace is economy.

We will uncover the full truth of tragedies like the Sewol Ferry, Itaewon and Osong Tunnel disasters, and build a safe society where citizens’ lives and property are not threatened.

We will heal the scars of war and division and chart a future of peace and prosperity.

No matter how expensive, peace is better than war.

It is better to win without fighting than to fight and win — and a peace that requires no fighting is the most secure form of security.

With defense spending twice the size of North Korea’s GDP, a military ranked among the world’s top five, and the US-ROK alliance, we will maintain strong deterrence against nuclear threats and provocations.

At the same time, we will reopen communication with North Korea and build peace on the Korean Peninsula through dialogue and cooperation.

We will restore the military’s honor and public trust, damaged by the illegal martial law attempt, and ensure that the military is never again used in politics.

Beloved and respected people of Korea,

Through countless life-or-death crises, I held onto our faith in the people and followed the path led by the people.

Now, I will follow the mission entrusted by the people to find hope.

Our people have always been strong when united, and they have overcome every adversity through unity.

We resisted Japan’s tyranny with the March 1 Movement and established the Provisional Government of Korea.

We achieved stunning industrial growth from the ruins of war and division.

We won democracy through resistance to dictatorship, and reclaimed popular sovereignty through two peaceful revolutions unmatched in global history.

With such great strength, there is no crisis our people cannot overcome.

Let us build a nation that leads the world with cultural excellence, leads change with advanced technology, and inspires others with exemplary democracy.

When Korea acts, it sets the global standard.

Respected citizens,

Recovery and growth, ultimately, are for the happiness of our people, the true owners of this land.

Let us build a genuine democratic republic where all national power is used solely for the people.

Let us overcome small differences, acknowledge and respect one another,

and move forward together toward a Korea where the people are the true owners, and the people are truly happy.

You, the citizens who resisted a coup d’etat carried out with national power, and opened a hopeful world with the light of democracy — you are the true protagonists of this historic journey.

As a faithful servant of the sovereign people of Korea, as the entrusted agent of 52 million lives and our nation’s future, I will fulfill the responsibilities given to the 21st President of the Republic of Korea.

Thank you.