[Full Text] President Yoon's National Address: "Everything Is My Fault, My Sincere Heart Is with the People"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is answering questions during the 'National Address and Press Conference' held at the briefing room of the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the morning of the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News

President Yoon Suk-yeol said on the 7th, "I believe the president is not a position for making excuses," adding, "Everything is my fault and a result of my shortcomings."

President Yoon made these remarks during a national address and press conference held at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning, saying, "I sincerely apologize to the people."

President Yoon stated, "Over the past two and a half years, I have worked tirelessly. While there may have been many shortcomings in the eyes of the people, my sincere intention has always been to be by the people's side," adding, "However, despite my efforts, there were incidents that caused concern to the public."

He continued, "The initiatives started for the livelihood of the people and the future of the Republic of Korea sometimes caused inconvenience to the public, and matters surrounding me also caused worry to the people." Early in his address, President Yoon said this and then stood up and bowed his head.

Below is the full text of President Yoon's address.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering a "National Address and Press Conference" on the morning of the 7th at the briefing room of the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Dear respected citizens, until recently, the heat continued, but now the mornings and evenings have become quite chilly. I am concerned whether you are having any difficulties preparing for winter.

The presidency is always a position full of worries. When it is hot, I worry about the heat; when it gets cold, I worry about the cold. When the economy is bad, I worry about those running businesses, and even when the economy improves, I first worry about rising prices. I feel that the responsibility placed on the president’s shoulders is to care for the lives of the people 24 hours a day, 365 days a year with constant concern.

Now, I have reached the halfway point of my term. Looking back, I have worked tirelessly over the past two and a half years to fulfill the duties entrusted to me by the people. While there may have been many shortcomings in the eyes of the public, my sincere intention has always been to be by the people's side. However, I believe there were many instances where, despite my efforts, I caused concern to the people. The initiatives started for the livelihood of the people and the future of the Republic of Korea sometimes caused inconvenience to the public, and matters surrounding me also caused worry to the people. I believe the presidency is not a position for making excuses. Everything is my fault and a result of my shortcomings. I sincerely apologize to the people and will proceed with this in mind. Going forward, I will do my utmost to ensure that there are no more inconveniences or worries caused to the people by carefully monitoring and reviewing matters.

Dear citizens, being here today reminds me of when I first took office as president. I knew the country’s situation was difficult, but upon taking office, I realized that all conditions were far more challenging than I had anticipated. The aftermath of the pandemic continued while Russia invaded Ukraine. Global supply chain disruptions caused crude oil, food, and raw material prices to soar, and high inflation, high interest rates, and high exchange rates persisted. It was a global complex crisis harsher than the 2008 global financial crisis. Other macroeconomic indicators were also difficult, but since China’s economic growth rate was close to 10%, exports to China faced no difficulties. Seeing the hardships of the people, I did my best to overcome them. There were many times I said that the country might collapse if we were careless and that we needed to stay alert. I was desperate and lost sleep many nights wondering if the government could navigate this comprehensive crisis. I devoted all my energy to overcoming the crisis by correcting each mistake one by one. My sole thought was to revive our economy and improve the lives of the people even a little.

Now, the economy is stretching its limbs. This year’s exports are expected to break records, and the current account surplus is projected to exceed $70 billion. The economic growth rate this year is also expected to surpass the potential growth rate of 2%. When the contract for the Czech nuclear power plant construction project worth 24 trillion won is finalized in March next year, it will inject greater vitality into our entire industrial sector, including the nuclear power industry. I deeply thank the people who have worked hard over the past two and a half years.

Dear respected citizens, I am now entering the latter half of my term. I will devote all my energy to work until the day my term ends on May 9, 2027. I will return to my original intentions and start anew with a fresh mindset. Above all, over the remaining two and a half years, I will focus my efforts on tangible changes so that the people can feel the benefits of improvements in their livelihoods. I will stabilize prices and the housing market further to ease the burden of living expenses. Through the lifting of Greenbelt restrictions and revitalizing reconstruction, we will supply more housing in areas desired by the people. Financial support and recovery programs tailored for small business owners and self-employed individuals will also be expanded. Scholarships will be increased and jobs created so that young people can freely pursue their dreams.

Our government’s welfare is not populist or political welfare but welfare for the vulnerable. We will continuously expand welfare for the vulnerable and increase the number of beneficiaries of service welfare for the elderly and disabled. We will also respond strongly with zero tolerance to crimes that destroy the lives of ordinary people and protect the daily lives of the people safely.

We will build a perfect Korea-US security posture with the new administration in Washington to firmly protect our freedom and peace. We will further advance security, economic, and advanced technology cooperation in the Korea-US alliance to expand the global playing field where our youth and companies can thrive. We will also accelerate efforts to enhance the dynamism of our economy. We will actively discover and nurture new growth engines such as semiconductors, AI, advanced bio, and quantum technologies, strengthen policy support, and solidify preparations for the future. We will continue to actively promote the complete restoration of the nuclear power ecosystem.

Dear citizens, the 4+1 reforms in healthcare, pensions, labor, education, and overcoming the population crisis are tasks directly related to people’s livelihoods and protecting our future. We will resolve excessive competition and open an era of livable local communities to find fundamental solutions to the population crisis. Healthcare reform will be carried out calmly and meticulously so that the people do not worry. Since a single pension reform bill has been submitted to the National Assembly, I hope discussions will proceed promptly. Labor reform will create a flexible and vibrant labor market based on the foundation of the rule of law. Education reform is now on track. We will expand the Neulbom Schools as planned and establish a new educational framework to nurture convergent future talents. We will listen to public opinion and minimize inconvenience to the people, ensuring reforms are completed without setbacks through more careful management.

Dear respected citizens, I am well aware of the shortcomings of myself and the government. We will correct the areas that need improvement. I will humbly accept the will of the people and undertake government reform. We will strengthen communication between the ruling party and the government to become a competent government and party that work for the people.

We now stand before fierce domestic and international challenges. If we do well, this crisis can turn into an opportunity for development. There is no time to waste on futile conflicts. I believe nothing is more important than the livelihood of the people and the future. Even if there are criticisms, I ask everyone to unite their strength for the sake of the people’s livelihood and future. Although we may have different camps and opinions, isn’t it a common task for all of us to give our children a good future? I will also reflect on my mindset to gather the hearts of all the people, communicate more, and work harder. I will do my best so that the people can feel changes in their livelihoods and dream of a better future. Thank you.