President Moon's New Year Wish: 'A Healthy Year Together'

At the Blue House New Year's Meeting, Well-Wishes and Hopes for the New Year Exchanged... First Ever Non-Face-to-Face Meeting, Invited Citizens Share Their New Year Wishes

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in presented "a healthy year together" as his New Year's wish.

The 2021 New Year's Greeting Meeting held at the Blue House on the 7th was conducted non-face-to-face for the first time in history. Only President Moon and Blue House officials such as Chief Secretary Yoo Young-min participated in person, while other attendees joined the New Year's Greeting Meeting via online video conference.

Kang Min-seok, spokesperson for the Blue House, said, "The New Year's Greeting Meeting proceeded in the order of the President's remarks, followed by New Year's greetings from the five key figures, leaders of ruling and opposition parties, and representatives from religious and economic sectors expressing their New Year's wishes."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Moon and the attendees ended the event by holding up papers with their New Year's wishes written on them. Spokesperson Kang explained, "President Moon's New Year's wish was 'a healthy year together.'"

Meanwhile, unlike previous years when mainly political, governmental, and business figures were invited, ordinary citizens were specially invited to this year's event. Those who attended the New Year's Greeting Meeting online shared their personal New Year's wishes.

Park Yong-won, a student who won the grand prize at the 15th International Standards Olympiad finals, said, "Last year was a confusing time due to online classes and other challenges, but everyone worked hard to overcome difficulties. I hope this year will be a year to overcome COVID-19 and achieve what we desire."

Kim Nam-kyung, CEO of Danhajudan, who contributed to the globalization of Hanbok, pledged, "In the brighter new year, I will strive so that Korea's traditions and beauty can gain global sympathy, making Hanbok a mainstay of cultural business."

Kim Dong-hwan, a police sergeant awarded the Korean Expressway Hero Award, said, "The police are the closest and most reliable neighbors to the people," adding, "We will respond swiftly to the people's calls anytime and anywhere to make Korea the safest country in the world and become the police loved by the people."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Han So-young, the first participant in the Kind YouTuber Relay Donation, introduced that her YouTube channel has 4.96 million subscribers from about 130 countries. She said, "During a YouTube broadcast, I ate gim (seaweed), and an overseas viewer asked, 'Why are you eating black paper?' but now foreigners like gim even more," adding, "I will make people around the world seek Korean food."

Following the segment where citizens expressed their New Year's wishes, there was a video performance by the Boled Choir, composed of youths with developmental disabilities.

Spokesperson Kang said, "The song performed by the Boled Choir was Cho Yong-pil's 'Song of the Wind.' When the Boled Choir sang the last verse, 'I will love everything in this world. I will love everything in this world,' a big round of applause erupted twice."

President Moon Jae-in said, "Thank you for attending the New Year's Greeting Meeting held via video conference and for your warm words to the people who are going through difficulties."