President Lee Jae-myung stated on September 18, "The people are always right," and pledged to approach all matters with greater care, humility, and intensity.
During his opening remarks at a press conference, President Lee acknowledged, "It is true that I was taken aback by the sudden disappointment and concerns of the people following the local elections. After much reflection, I concluded that 'the people are always right.' This is all due to my shortcomings."
He emphasized that improving the livelihood of the people is the top priority of his administration, promising to focus more on this than on recovery and growth. Addressing internal conflicts within his support base regarding the methods and pace of reform, he urged, "Please do not doubt the sincerity of those who have looked toward the same goal just because their paths and methods differ slightly."
Below are the full opening remarks of President Lee at the press conference.
Dear respected and beloved citizens,
As a public servant representing the great Korean people, I extend my heartfelt greetings to those who are enduring difficult daily lives in challenging circumstances as we approach the national holiday of Chuseok.
Since I took on the heavy responsibility of being accountable for the fate of the nation and the lives of the people, I have been reflecting on the remaining time I have and have done my utmost over the past 472 days.
From the moment I took office, I have dedicated myself to overcoming the crises we face in the economy, society, diplomacy, and security, and to reviving the seeds of new hope.
I have strived to maintain the original intention of asking for the opportunity and power to work for everyone, rather than for status or authority.
However, after the local elections, I was indeed taken aback by the sudden disappointment and concerns of the people.
After much contemplation and reflection, I have concluded that 'the people are always right.' This is all due to my shortcomings.
In the face of numerous challenges, I have been too preoccupied to fully understand the feelings of many.
Because I believed that results must be proven through execution rather than clear assertions or declarations, I failed to sufficiently empathize with the pain and conflicts that inevitably arise in the processes of improving livelihoods, reform, and unity.
In light of the small achievements and the great support from the people, my fear and humility have diminished.
Since power should only be used for the people and the nation, I should have approached my duties with a more serving attitude.
I will revive my fear of the people and approach all matters with greater care, humility, and intensity.
The highest goal of my administration is to improve the livelihood of the people, creating a better life for them and a brighter future for the nation.
I will never forget the determination I made when I rushed to the National Assembly on the night of December 3, 2024, with a solemn resolve, standing alongside the people who gathered to face the military's guns and armored vehicles without any name or honor.
While economic indicators may improve, I have not been able to respond actively to the question, 'If the economy is improving, why is my life not changing, or rather, why is it getting worse?'
Overcoming the economic crisis and recovering growth, as well as actually improving the lives of the people, are both major tasks that cannot be neglected.
Rather than making excuses that overcoming the crisis and recovering growth were more urgent, I want to emphasize that I will focus more on improving the livelihood of the people.
In the process of fundamentally changing the lives of the people and the future of the nation through reform, I reflect on whether I could have empathized more with the pain experienced by those in disadvantaged positions and whether I was too reluctant to find a path to communicate with those who desire bolder and more refreshing reforms.
The fact that the people overcame the crisis and established a government of popular sovereignty was not merely to change the color of the regime.
I believe it was a solemn command to eliminate privileges, irregularities, inequalities, and injustices that threaten the lives of the people, to create a true democratic republic where the people are the masters, and to open a world filled with dreams and hopes where all citizens can share in the opportunities and fruits of growth and development.
Whether as the mayor of Seongnam, the governor of Gyeonggi Province, the party leader, or now as President, the hopes and expectations of the people have remained consistent.
It was a call to create a fair nation where the powerless are not wronged and no power reigns over the people, and to build a hopeful society where everyone respects each other and lives well together.
While my workplace has changed during my political career, the goals and values of reform have never changed for a moment.
Whether it was when I decided to enter politics in the underground prayer room of a church in front of Seongnam City Hall or now, as I hold the key to the great Republic of Korea and move forward with the people toward a better future, the world I envision has not changed at all.
If there is a difference, it is that I have moved beyond merely asserting what I believe is right to being the 'highest responsible person for state affairs' who must produce actual results with the authority granted by the people in the harsh reality.
Reform is said to be more difficult than revolution.
The organized resistance from stakeholders against these changes aimed at creating a more rational and fair world is as strong as concrete. However, the support from those whose lives will improve due to the changes often feels like scattered grains of sand.
The authority granted to elected officials is the power to overcome resistance, and it is my capability and responsibility as President to turn those grains of sand into concrete, overcoming resistance and creating a new order.
However, I have been concerned that revealing clarity in the reform process might provoke greater resistance, potentially slowing the pace of reform or even leading to failure.
Like the previous government's medical reform, which was loud in announcing the government's reform intentions to the public but resulted in social chaos without actual achievements, I do not wish to repeat that mistake.
Ultimately, I believe that the success of the government is evaluated by the people based on tangible results on the last day of my term, and I have focused on quietly achieving results while minimizing resistance.
I believed that being evaluated based on the results that improve the lives of the people at the final stage is the true way to repay the people, rather than gaining attention through harsh words or rough methods during the reform process.
The principle of being 'the President of all' stems from this thought. I honestly confess that it has not been an easy path, as it was not a familiar one. I have constantly pondered how to harmonize the methods, pace, and breadth of reform and unity.
I have been criticized for diluting reform in the pursuit of unity, and for raising doubts about the sincerity of unity while pushing for reform.
However, I can firmly state that it is not the direction we are heading that has changed, but rather the shortcomings in the processes and methods of myself and the government.
The historical command to practice the spirit of solidarity for social reform in the field of life remains a valid compass for 'Reform President' Lee Jae-myung.
I will tighten my shoelaces again.
To ensure that those who have trusted and loved me through historical hardships are no longer disappointed, and to minimize the pain and sense of loss experienced by those struggling in the reform process, I will communicate more, show more respect, and approach matters with greater caution and care.
Even among those who look toward the same goal, there may be differing opinions on which path is faster or safer.
I urge you not to doubt the sincerity of those who have looked toward the same goal just because their paths and methods differ slightly.
It is truly regrettable that those who wholeheartedly worked together to overcome the crisis and achieve the success of the government of popular sovereignty are now exchanging hateful words.
It pains me deeply to see someone who once dreamed of a better world being targeted for exclusion and suffering.
We, who dream of democracy, progress, and reform, and act for a better world, are all allies of the late Kim Dae-jung and Lee Jae-myung.
While there are many causes and drivers behind this painful reality, I bear the greatest responsibility as a member of the Democratic Party and the highest responsible person for state affairs.
Even if I feel resentment and want to blame someone, please blame the shortcomings of myself and the government. I will listen more, communicate more, and extend my hand first.
Small differences should not be a reason to push each other away, but rather a strength to find better solutions, and I will strive with a determination to make sacrifices.
Dear respected citizens,
I will responsibly complete the irreversible reform of the prosecution, which is a historical task.
After long efforts, the task of 'separation of investigation and prosecution' through the exclusion of prosecutors from investigations and the separation of the Public Prosecution Service and the Special Investigation Service is nearing its conclusion.
The purpose of prosecutorial reform is to ensure that the powers and roles of investigative and prosecutorial agencies, which are meant to protect human rights and victims and maintain social order, are not misused for political investigations and prosecutions.
We must ensure that the investigative and prosecutorial functions operate properly to avoid hindering the protection of victims and the human rights of the people.
I will thoroughly inspect and supplement the prosecutorial reform to ensure that it protects the human rights of the people and victims properly and focuses solely on maintaining a fair and just social order, leaving no room for even a single unjust victim or small gap.
Any issues arising from the absence of supplementary investigative powers for prosecutors will be resolved through thorough checks and supplementary measures for police investigations.
I will dispel the public's concerns that the police may regress into an omnipotent power due to the monopoly of investigative powers through high-intensity police reform.
The President of the Republic of Korea must be the President of all citizens. Although one of the presidential candidates with differing values, orientations, and pledges may be elected by the people, once elected, he must represent all citizens.
Even if he becomes the President of all, the will of the citizens who chose the values, beliefs, and policies he presented must still be respected.
I will become a 'President of Unity' who does not lose the values of reform and progress presented to the people, while reflecting the rational opinions of the majority of citizens in state affairs through communication and dialogue.
I will think more deeply and gather more opinions from the people to ensure that appointments and policies for unity do not become causes of conflict and division.
Although they may seem different and opposing, livelihood, reform, and unity ultimately converge into one path.
Reform must be for the better lives of the people, and unity is the foundation for sustaining more effective and broader reforms with more citizens.
I will prove through results, not words, and will walk the path of livelihood, reform, and unity unwaveringly according to the will of the people.
I have promised the people countless reform tasks across various fields, including politics, economy, society, culture, diplomacy, and security.
I will steadily implement those many promises and tasks to build greater trust and ensure a better life for the people and an indispensable Republic of Korea.
While continuously promoting recovery and growth, I will ensure that the opportunities and fruits of growth are shared by all.
To avoid the lost 30 years that we will inevitably face if we continue on this path, I will stabilize the real estate market.
I will unwaveringly promote 'balanced national development' to overcome the fundamental obstacles to stabilizing housing prices in the metropolitan area and to decentralize the growth and development hubs.
Through the firm and swift execution of supply, regulatory, and tax policies, and sufficient communication with stakeholders, I will minimize confusion and resistance to achieve housing price stabilization.
I will complete the construction of the administrative capital, which has been pursued for a long time to alleviate congestion in the metropolitan area, as quickly as possible. Like New York and Washington, I will usher in the era of 'two capitals for economy and administration' with 'Economic Capital Seoul' and 'Administrative Capital Sejong.'
I will create a safe and peaceful country, a hopeful and happy world for all citizens, including the socially vulnerable.
The 1987 Constitution, born from a compromise in the political situation, no longer fits today's Republic of Korea.
I will also strive to ensure that it can be amended through rational discussions in the political arena and national consensus.
My position on constitutional amendments has been consistent for a long time, including incorporating the spirit of the Gwangju Democratization Movement and the Busan Uprising into the preamble, strengthening citizens' basic rights, distributing some presidential powers to the National Assembly and local governments, and introducing a presidential term system for policy consistency and national stability.
Claims that I intend to introduce a cabinet responsibility system or a dual executive system are absurd.
My re-election through constitutional amendment is constitutionally impossible, and I have repeatedly stated that I have never even considered re-election.
Therefore, I believe that the demand for me to promise not to seek re-election is a political offensive aimed at framing me as someone who is contemplating re-election.
Nevertheless, I would like to take this opportunity to firmly state once again that I have no intention of seeking re-election.
The sovereignty of the democratic republic of Korea belongs to the people, and all powers, including the power of appointment, come from the people.
I will respect the will of the sovereign people as much as possible in exercising all state powers, including personnel administration. I will also re-examine the personnel system.
As I always say, while it may seem that politicians do politics, ultimately, it is the people who do politics. The people are always right.
It was the people who called me, once a marginal figure, to this position as the highest responsible person for the nation.
Guided by the collective wisdom of the people, I will boldly move forward for a better future for the Republic of Korea, believing only in the people.
I will serve the people with a lower posture, striving to become a 'President of Livelihood' who brings about genuine changes in the lives of the people, a 'Reform President' who solves the long-standing tasks of the democratic government, and a 'President of Unity' who creates a world where we can live together beyond conflict and confrontation.
Thank you.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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