Attended the Opening Ceremony of '2023 Daebaekjejeon' Immediately After Returning Home
Yoon "I Feel Energized Coming Back to My Hometown"
Reiterates Full Support for Establishing Chungnam as a Hub for Future Industries
President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 23rd, "I will fulfill my promise to make Gongju and Buyeo hubs of historical and cultural significance recognized worldwide."
President Yoon made this pledge while attending the opening ceremony of the '2023 Dae Baekje Festival' held at Geumgang New Pavilion Park in the Baekje Historic Areas, a UNESCO World Heritage site, during the 78th session. The Dae Baekje Festival, which began in 1955, is a representative historical and cultural festival of Chungcheongnam-do, marking its 69th edition this year.
After completing his schedule at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, President Yoon arrived at Seongnam Airport on the same day and headed straight to the event venue. In his congratulatory speech, he said, "I just finished my UN General Assembly tour in New York and have just arrived, taking a helicopter here. I came to meet all of you."
Despite the fatigue from 49 diplomatic engagements during his visit to the United States, President Yoon mentioned, "Coming back to my hometown gives me strength." Gongju, where the Geumgang New Pavilion Park is located and where the opening ceremony took place, is the hometown of his late father, Yoon Ki-jung, an honorary professor at Yonsei University.
President Yoon recalled, "When I was young, I remember vividly taking a train from Seoul with my father, getting off at Jochiwon Station, then taking an intercity bus to Gongju Terminal, crossing the Geumgang River, and going to my uncle's house." He added, "The passionate cheers from the people of Gongju, Buyeo, Cheongyang, and Chungnam in the square just 1 year and 6 months ago, on March 3 last year, right before the presidential election, still give me great strength."
He continued, "The Baekje heritage, which blossomed into a splendid culture, not only led the development of Asian culture but also became the DNA of K-Culture that the world is paying attention to. I hope the Dae Baekje Festival will develop into a festival that widely promotes Baekje culture globally. I will firmly support this."
Regarding the industrial development of Chungcheongnam-do, President Yoon referred to former President Park Chung-hee’s efforts in establishing the Daedeok Research Complex and recent new investment agreements between Chungcheongnam-do and Samsung Display, promising full support to make the Chungcheongnam-do region a future industrial hub.
President Yoon emphasized, "At the investment agreement ceremony between Chungcheongnam-do and Samsung Display last April, I promised to fully support the next-generation display and mobility businesses that Chungnam is strategically nurturing. Furthermore, with the designation of Cheonan and Asan as specialized display complexes in July, and the prompt establishment of two new national advanced industrial complexes announced in March in Cheonan and Hongseong, I will thoroughly oversee and push forward these initiatives without any gaps."
He also mentioned that Baekje culture influenced Japanese culture and expressed gratitude to the Ambassador of Japan to Korea, the Governor of Shizuoka Prefecture, and the Governor of Nara Prefecture, who attended the event.
The Presidential Office stated in a press release that day, "The 2023 Dae Baekje Festival, held after the swift recovery from the heavy rain damage in July, will rediscover the value and true nature of the culturally strong 'Baekje' and widely promote it worldwide, serving as an opportunity to elevate the status of not only Chungnam but also the Republic of Korea."
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