[Full Text] Special Address on the 3rd Anniversary of President Moon Jae-in's Inauguration

President Moon Jae-in is delivering a special address to the nation on the morning of the 10th, marking the third anniversary of his inauguration, at the Chuncheon Hall of the Blue House. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Son Sun-hee] President Moon Jae-in said on the 10th, "We will upgrade the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency to strengthen expertise and independence."

In a special speech marking the 3rd anniversary of his inauguration at 11 a.m. at the Press Center, President Moon said, "We will expand professional personnel and establish a regional system to supplement the insufficient capabilities of local areas." He also stated, "Subject to the consent of the National Assembly, we intend to introduce a multiple vice-minister system in the Ministry of Health and Welfare," and "We will also promote the establishment of specialized infectious disease hospitals and a national infectious disease research institute."

He added, "We will drastically expand the application of employment insurance and implement the National Employment Support System to raise the level of our employment safety net by one step," and said, "We will lay the foundation for an 'era of nationwide employment insurance' where all employed persons receive employment insurance benefits."

Regarding North Korea, he briefly mentioned 'Human Security' based on solidarity and cooperation, saying, "I hope that South and North Korea will cooperate on human security to become one life community and move toward a peace community."

Below is the full text of President Moon's special speech on the 3rd anniversary of his inauguration.

[Special Speech on the 3rd Anniversary of President Moon Jae-in's Inauguration]

Dear fellow citizens,

It has been three years since my inauguration.

Over the past three years,

I have always carried the aspirations of the Candlelight Movement in my heart as I managed state affairs.

I sought to walk the path of fairness and justice, innovation and inclusion, peace and prosperity.

Every day felt like walking on thin ice.

There were many hardships.

Each time, the people gave me strength and courage.

I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support and encouragement from the people.

For the remaining two years, I will approach state affairs with even firmer resolve.

Until the moment I complete my term,

I will devote all my efforts with a heavy sense of responsibility for the mission entrusted by the people and history.

Dear citizens,

We are now standing in the midst of global upheaval.

An invisible virus is changing the world entirely.

It is fundamentally transforming our daily lives,

and plunging the global economy into an unprecedented crisis.

It is bringing about massive changes not only in the economic and social structures of each country but also in the international order.

We cannot avoid it even if we want to.

There is no choice but to confront it head-on and break through.

It is said, "Heaven helps those who help themselves."

We will overcome the crisis with extraordinary determination and courage.

Furthermore, we will turn the crisis into an opportunity.

It is said, "Opportunity belongs to those who seek it and those who challenge."

Together with the people, we will wisely find the way and boldly challenge.

We will make the current crisis

a driving force for new opportunities and development.

Our goal goes beyond 'Korea in the world.'

Our goal is 'Korea leading the world.'

It is the new Korea we have longed for.

We have already become a country leading the world in quarantine.

K-Quarantine has become the global standard.

Korea's national status and people's pride have never been higher.

This is the power of the people who have fully demonstrated the spirit of solidarity and cooperation,

including the dedication of quarantine authorities and medical staff, and the voluntary participation of countless volunteers.

We have firmly defended the quarantine front with the power of the people,

and have won the war against the virus.

As the domestic situation entered a stabilization phase,

we transitioned to a new daily life where quarantine and daily life coexist.

However, we have not returned to the pre-COVID-19 era.

The recent cluster infection at entertainment facilities, even in the stabilization phase,

reminded us that similar situations can occur anytime and anywhere

in enclosed spaces where people gather densely.

It is not over until it is over.

We must remain vigilant until the end

and not let go of the quarantine efforts.

That said, there is no reason to stop out of fear.

As long as we do not let our guard down,

our quarantine system

can sufficiently control and manage the spread of the virus.

Even if unexpected cluster infections occur,

we have the quarantine and medical systems and experience to respond swiftly.

It will take a long time for COVID-19 to be completely eradicated.

We must prepare for the second wave, which many experts predict will come in the fall or winter.

However, we cannot indefinitely delay returning to daily life until then.

Quarantine is the starting point of the economy,

but quarantine alone does not solve livelihood issues.

The government will respond to COVID-19 thoroughly with a long-term perspective.

We ask the people to continue to observe quarantine rules well even as they return to daily life.

Please join forces so that we can succeed in this new challenge where quarantine and daily life coexist.

If the people demonstrate mature capabilities once again,

the transition to daily life will become a model for the world.

We have already confirmed that our quarantine and healthcare systems

are among the best in the world.

This is the result of developing response systems based on experiences from SARS and MERS.

We will further strengthen the quarantine system

and become a definitive 'No. 1 quarantine country' leading the world.

We will upgrade the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency

to strengthen expertise and independence.

We will expand professional personnel and establish a regional system

to supplement the insufficient capabilities of local areas.

With the consent of the National Assembly,

we intend to introduce a multiple vice-minister system in the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

We will also promote the establishment of specialized infectious disease hospitals and a national infectious disease research institute.

We will drastically strengthen the public health care system and infectious disease response capabilities

to create a safer Korea.

This is an urgent task to prepare for the second wave expected by experts this fall or winter.

We ask for the prompt cooperation of the National Assembly.

Dear citizens,

The issue is the economy.

The current economic crisis is being compared to the Great Depression 100 years ago.

The global economy has come to a halt.

Factories have stopped production, and unemployment is rapidly increasing.

Borders are closed and exchanges are cut off,

global supply chains are collapsing, and world trade is sharply declining.

We are facing the worst negative growth since the Great Depression.

No one knows where the bottom is or when the end will come.

The damage to our economy is also enormous.

Exports plunged in April,

resulting in a trade deficit for the first time in 99 months.

The contraction in the service sector, which began with tourism, travel, food, and lodging, is spreading to the manufacturing sector.

Even relatively strong period industries and leading companies

are facing increasing difficulties,

and cases requesting urgent financial support are increasing.

The employment shock is also growing.

The fear of unemployment is spreading comprehensively

from small business owners, non-regular workers, and daily workers

to regular workers, mid-sized companies, and large corporations.

It is truly an 'economic wartime situation.'

I offer my deep condolences to the people enduring this difficult situation.

The government will concentrate all its capabilities on overcoming the economic crisis.

We will hold the hands of the people standing on the edge of the cliff.

We will be a pillar that protects people's lives and jobs.

The government has invested 245 trillion won, more than 10% of GDP,

in corporate support and job measures through bold and swift emergency measures.

We are preparing a third supplementary budget following the first and second.

We will firmly prepare for even greater shocks in the future.

We will mobilize all available resources and policies.

We will use the faster stabilization of the COVID-19 situation and transition to a new daily life than other countries

as a turning point to boost economic vitality.

We will advance the timetable for consumption promotion and tourism recovery,

and actively promote investment activation.

We will strengthen support to revitalize manufacturing,

and swiftly implement measures to stimulate the depressed regional economy.

We ask the people to actively engage in consumption and economic activities while observing quarantine rules as economic agents.

Like overcoming the quarantine crisis,

overcoming the economic crisis can succeed if the people join together.

I believe in our people who have the DNA to overcome crises.

The government will become a global model in overcoming the economic crisis together with the people.

Dear citizens,

The post-COVID-19 global economic order is by no means rosy.

We have vividly seen how fragile international solidarity and cooperation are in the face of the virus.

The reality is very severe.

Nationalistic self-help may increase further.

The division of labor within globalization that has developed the world economy so far is under threat.

This is a very serious challenge to our economy, which has grown through openness and cooperation.

If we fail to turn the crisis into an opportunity, we cannot survive.

This is a critical time to proactively prepare for the future.

Dear citizens,

During the remainder of my term,

I will devote myself to overcoming national crises with the people

and do my utmost to turn the crisis into an opportunity.

I will open the path for Korea to lead the world.

First, we will pioneer the post-COVID-19 era with a leading economy.

We have excellent infrastructure and the world's top competitiveness in the ICT sector.

We have also confirmed competitiveness and potential in the bio sector.

We have strengths in post-COVID-19 industries such as non-face-to-face medical services, online education, online transactions, quarantine, and the bio industry.

We have sufficient capabilities to lead the digital economy by combining 4th industrial revolution technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data.

We will make Korea leap forward as a 'digital powerhouse' leading the world, with innovative ventures and startups as the main players.

We will further foster the three new growth industries?system semiconductors, biohealth, and future cars?to create future growth engines.

Korea has become the safest and most transparent production base in the world.

The world has begun to prefer innovation capabilities and safe investment destinations over cheap labor costs.

This is a golden opportunity for us.

We will pursue bold strategies to attract not only the return of Korean companies but also advanced industries and investments from abroad.

Korea will become the 'world factory of advanced industries'

and change the global industrial map.

Second, we will drastically expand the application of employment insurance and implement the National Employment Support System

to raise the level of our employment safety net.

We will protect the lives of all citizens from unemployment and livelihood threats.

Throughout history, humanity has expanded welfare and strengthened safety nets during crises.

The United States laid the foundation of its social security system through the Great Depression,

and Korea introduced the Basic Livelihood Security System early during the IMF financial crisis.

The current COVID-19 crisis

demands that we build a stronger employment safety net, which is still vulnerable.

We will lay the foundation for an 'era of nationwide employment insurance' where all employed persons receive employment insurance benefits.

We will promptly promote employment insurance enrollment for low-wage non-regular workers who are not yet enrolled,

and quickly eliminate blind spots in employment insurance for special employment workers, platform workers, freelancers, artists, and others.

We will also gradually expand employment insurance coverage for self-employed workers through social consensus.

Expanding the employment safety net

is also necessary for the dynamism of our economy.

We will revise laws and systems to gradually expand the scope of employment insurance.

The understanding and cooperation of the National Assembly are very important.

I ask for legislative support.

Also, we will promptly implement the National Employment Support System,

a Korean-style unemployment assistance system.

The National Employment Support System provides tailored employment support such as vocational training

and income support such as job-seeking promotion allowances for low-income groups, youth, and small self-employed workers.

If employment insurance is the primary employment safety net,

the National Employment Support System is the secondary employment safety net.

It is an essential employment safety net for people preparing for employment or in long-term unemployment.

After agreement at the Economic, Social and Labor Council,

the law has already been submitted to the National Assembly.

I hope the National Assembly will promptly process it.

Third, we will promote the 'Korean New Deal' as a national project for job creation.

The government will create new jobs

and provide new opportunities to the people.

The Korean New Deal is a future preemptive investment to build digital infrastructure.

We will promote the early establishment of 5G infrastructure

and the construction of data infrastructure for collecting, accumulating, and utilizing data

as national projects.

We will focus on nurturing non-face-to-face industries such as medical care, education, and distribution,

and actively carry out large-scale job creation projects that combine artificial intelligence and digital technologies

in national infrastructure such as cities, industrial complexes, roads, transportation networks, and aging SOC.

In the process, we will harmonize important values such as personal information protection

and securing the public nature of medical care and education.

The government will expand public investment and strengthen private cooperation

to create new jobs.

We will lay the foundation for transitioning to a leading economy along with overcoming the crisis.

With bold and creative planning and swift and decisive execution,

we will actively create high-quality new jobs.

Fourth, we will lead an international order of solidarity and cooperation

that prioritizes human life and safety.

The principles of openness, transparency, democracy, and creative methods we demonstrated in quarantine

have become a global success model.

It was created by the entire society together.

Acts of volunteering and donating, and the spirit of solidarity and cooperation have become Korea's national dignity

and the source of international leadership.

International praise has greatly expanded our diplomatic horizons.

Korea has become central to international cooperation,

and its status has risen remarkably in multilateral forums such as the G20 and ASEAN+3.

We will actively leverage this opportunity.

Based on successful quarantine,

we will lead international cooperation in the post-COVID-19 era

with 'Human Security' at the center.

Today's security has expanded from traditional military security

to 'human security' that addresses all factors threatening safety, such as disasters, diseases, and environmental issues.

All countries must unite and cooperate to respond.

We will play a leading role in Northeast Asia, ASEAN, and worldwide

to move toward the common goal of human security through solidarity and cooperation.

I hope South and North Korea will cooperate on human security to become one life community

and move toward a peace community.

Dear respected and beloved citizens,

As we fight the difficult war against the virus,

the people have begun to rediscover Korea.

They have started to say, 'We are already an advanced country.' The countries we wanted to follow

have begun to learn from us.

We have become the standard and the world.

Now, we have begun to speak of Korea's greatness.

It is the greatness created by the people themselves.

We have yielded and cared, united and cooperated.

We have become stronger in moments of crisis.

The people were great.

I am truly proud of you, the people.

The crisis is not over, and greater challenges remain.

The government will bear even heavier responsibility.

We will become the country that overcomes the crisis the fastest.

We will become a model for the world and a country that leads the world.

We will stand tall in the world as a new Korea.

Until the end of my term,

I will boldly move forward with the great people.

Thank you.