Speaking at a Labor Day ceremony at the Blue House, Lee said he would “open a path of shared growth where labor and business move forward together.”
Lee said growth that leaves no future for workers — who make up most of the public — “cannot be called real growth.” He described workers as the key economic actors, supporting the economy through production at work and driving development as consumers outside the workplace.
The following is the full text of President Lee’s Labor Day address.
Dear fellow citizens,
And workers — the proud name that moves the world,
Today, we gather to honor the sweat, dedication and value of labor as we mark Labor Day, which has “reclaimed its name” for the first time in 63 years.
With us are senior figures from the labor community and representatives of economic organizations. Workers from many fields — including civil servants and teachers — and those engaged in new forms of work are also here.
Because workers across the country quietly fulfilled their responsibilities and kept workplaces running, today’s Republic of Korea was possible. I extend my respect and gratitude to all workers in this land — the drivers of production, the core engine of economic growth and the leading force behind our nation’s development.
Most people in Korea work for a living. The forms of work vary, but people provide their labor and sustain their lives in return. Yet labor is not only a means of making a living. Through work, we realize ourselves, change our lives and bring change to the world. Labor supports an individual’s daily life, protects a family’s present and is the source of strength that carries our community into tomorrow.
I, too, worked in a factory as a child laborer. I would head to work early in the morning and end the day late at night — sometimes at dawn — with hands stained with grease. It would be a lie to say it was not exhausting. But being able to protect my family with the sweat I shed at work was a great comfort and the strength that made me who I am today.
I was a child “worker,” and I am still proud of that name. That is why today, when we use the name “Labor Day” rather than “Workers’ Day,” feels especially meaningful to me.
A moment ago, we heard the voices of many workers. Though their jobs, generations and genders differ, their voices carried the same dream — a dream no different from what I felt as a child factory worker. The desire to work safely and have one’s labor respected does not change, no matter the era or circumstances.
As a president who once was a child factory worker, I will answer your voices with a deep sense of duty.
Dear workers,
We stand in the middle of enormous change. Artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and the way we work. The climate crisis is also redefining the standards of national competitiveness. Rapid change may be an opportunity for some, but a major threat to survival for others.
Many forecasts say machines and AI will replace much of human labor as technology advances. But we must not demand one-sided sacrifice from workers in the name of productivity alone. Growth without a future for workers — who make up most of the public — cannot be real growth. Workers are the most important economic actors, sustaining our economy through production and driving development as consumers.
Even if this wave of change is unavoidable, finding a path of shared growth is the way to a sustainable tomorrow for all of us. In this great transition, the government will take special care so that each working citizen can build a life that is safer, fairer and more dignified.
On this Labor Day, I make three promises to the public and to workers.
First, we will never compromise on workplace safety. We will build a normal country where workers do not have to risk death to do their jobs. At any worksite in Korea, life and safety must never be placed behind profit and performance. I will make clear that protecting safety is not a cost or an option, but the minimum basic duty that the state and companies must uphold.
Second, we will ensure that all workers can enjoy basic labor rights. Rights must not vary because employment types or ways of working differ. Whether regular or nonregular, prime contractor or subcontractor, platform worker or freelancer, anyone who works should be treated fairly. We will pay close attention so that no one falls into blind spots of protection.
Third, we will open a path of shared growth where labor and business move forward together. A society that respects labor and a country where it is good to do business are not incompatible. There are no workers without companies, and no companies without workers. Only by breaking the outdated binary of “pro-labor is anti-business” and “pro-business is anti-labor” can we move toward a better future.
Respect for labor is not a matter of charity or favor. Growth without labor is only half a growth and cannot be sustainable. Growth with labor is growth with a future. We will build an ecosystem of shared growth where labor and management can respect each other and talk. We will realize “real growth” in which labor and business, fairness and innovation, and growth and distribution reinforce one another in a virtuous cycle.
Dear fellow citizens,
Today, along with this Labor Day ceremony, various events are being held nationwide, including a street festival at Cheonggye Plaza. These events were prepared over a long period with labor, management, government and civil society working together. I believe that the fact that labor and management are together here today shows the efforts made so far for respect and shared growth.
People with different positions cannot always think the same way. But we must not turn away from one another or become hostile because of differences. The first step toward dialogue already began in the preparation process. The fact that everyone has started drawing a blueprint for shared growth together is, in itself, one of the greatest meanings of today’s Labor Day.
Today’s dialogue must continue. We will turn what we discussed here into changes in workplaces and into policies that improve people’s lives.
We will, together with the public and with workers, build a normal country where people can return safely to their families after the workday ends — a Korea where labor is respected, workers are treated with dignity, and everyone who works hard can shine.
Thank you.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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