President Lee Jae Myung's First Official Public Engagement
Heads to the National Assembly for Inauguration Oath After Paying Tribute
President Lee Jae Myung and First Lady Kim Hye Kyung arrived at the National Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul on the 4th and saluted the national flag while moving during their visit to the Memorial Tower. Photo by Presidential Office Press Photographers Group Yonhap News
On June 4, after being officially confirmed as the president-elect by the National Election Commission, President Lee Jae Myung visited the National Seoul National Cemetery as his first official engagement and delivered a message to the public: "A world where we live together, a country where the people are the owners."
At approximately 10:07 a.m. that day, President Lee, accompanied by his wife, First Lady Kim Hye Kyung, paid tribute at the National Seoul National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul. After the tribute, he wrote in the guestbook, "A country where the people are happy, I will build it together with the people."
Earlier, at around 9:31 a.m., President Lee left his private residence in Gyeyang-gu, Incheon, greeted local residents, and arrived at the cemetery 36 minutes later. Dressed in a black suit and black tie, President Lee shook hands with Park Chan Dae, the floor leader of the Democratic Party, after getting out of the car and began the tribute.
After completing the tribute at the cemetery, President Lee headed to the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly main building for the inauguration oath as the 21st president. The ceremony proceeded with a national salute, followed by the oath of office according to Article 69 of the Constitution, and then the inaugural address. Approximately 360 people attended the oath ceremony, including the heads of the five major branches (Speaker of the National Assembly, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, President of the Constitutional Court, Prime Minister, Chairperson of the National Election Commission), lawmakers including party leaders, cabinet members, and representatives from various sectors.
This inauguration event was held in a simplified format. Considering that the term began immediately without a transition committee due to the early presidential election, no separate inauguration ceremony was arranged. The number of participants, around 300, was similar to that of former President Moon Jae In. This is a significant reduction compared to the inauguration ceremonies of former presidents Yoon Suk Yeol (41,000 attendees), Park Geun Hye (70,366), Lee Myung Bak (60,405), and Roh Moo Hyun (48,500). Traditional inauguration elements such as the Bosingak bell ringing, artillery salute, military band and honor guard parade, and congratulatory performances were also omitted.
The scale of the inauguration event was reduced because President Lee's official term began at 6:21 a.m. that day, leaving insufficient preparation time. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which oversees the inauguration, typically forms a working-level task force led by a vice minister once a new president-elect is determined. However, for this election, the inauguration had to be prepared in advance without knowing who the president-elect would be. Therefore, the ministry referred to the case of President Moon's inauguration, which had a similar situation, and prepared the event accordingly, finalizing the details and format after President Lee's victory was confirmed.
The official inauguration event is scheduled to be held next month on July 17, in conjunction with Constitution Day. However, the official name of the event will be "Appointment Ceremony." A representative from President Lee's team explained, "Naming it the Appointment Ceremony reflects the president's intention that the sovereign people are the true agents of the new government," and added, "The purpose is not to commemorate the inauguration of the new president, but to commemorate the fact that the people have appointed the president." Regarding the decision to hold the appointment ceremony on Constitution Day, the representative added, "It carries the meaning that the president will reaffirm the spirit of the Constitution and firmly uphold the constitutional order."
After completing the oath of office, President Lee met with the Speaker of the National Assembly and the leaders of both the ruling and opposition parties.
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