President Moon Mentions 'Economy' 43 Times, 'Crisis' 28 Times, 'Corona' 25 Times

City Administration Speech Viewed Through Keywords

President Moon Jae-in is looking at the People Power Party lawmakers who are protesting during his 2021 budget address at the National Assembly plenary session on the 28th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

The keywords of President Moon Jae-in's 2021 budget address on the 28th can be summarized under the categories of 'economy' and 'COVID-19 (coronavirus)'.

President Moon's speech was about 11,000 characters long, equivalent to 91 manuscript pages, and used approximately 2,300 words. The part President Moon emphasized the most was the 'economy.' The word he mentioned most frequently was also 'economy,' appearing a total of 43 times. When combining economy-related words, the focus of this speech becomes even clearer. 'Investment' appeared 28 times, 'jobs' 18 times, and 'New Deal' 17 times. 'Employment' appeared 13 times, 'companies' 12 times, and 'livelihood' 6 times. In the senior secretaries and aides meeting on the 26th, President Moon also stressed "rapid economic recovery," saying, "As consumption gradually revives, an opportunity for consumption rebound is being created."

The next key keyword after the economy is 'COVID-19.' The word 'corona' appeared 25 times, and 'quarantine' 23 times. President Moon's emphasis on 'economy' and 'corona' is interpreted as a diagnosis that the current situation is an unprecedented national crisis.

In this speech, President Moon said, "The year 2020 will be recorded as a year of global upheaval," adding, "Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, humanity's lives are severely threatened, daily life has been completely changed, and the global economy and international order are undergoing massive changes." Reflecting this awareness, the word 'crisis' appeared 28 times.

Nevertheless, President Moon openly expressed pride in the will to overcome the crisis, national capabilities, and the people's efforts. He emphasized, "The Republic of Korea is proving to the world that it is a country strong in crisis," and "It is becoming the country that performs best in both quarantine and economy worldwide."

He also mentioned the high national credit rating Korea received from international credit rating agencies, saying, "This shows the resilience of our economy that turns crisis into opportunity." President Moon reiterated the 'two rabbits theory,' which means simultaneously succeeding in both economy and quarantine, saying, "I hope this occasion today becomes a moment where we pledge together to surely catch the two rabbits of success in quarantine and economy."

Mentions related to the 'Korean Peninsula,' which have always drawn attention in President Moon's public speeches, were significantly reduced. The word 'peace' was used 11 times, but 'North Korea' was not mentioned even once. 'South and North' was mentioned twice, and 'inter-Korean' only once. Additionally, 'cooperation,' which President Moon emphasized at the end, was used three times.