On July 7, newly appointed Prime Minister Minseok Kim stated, "I will become the nation's comprehensive situation chief who overcomes the wounds of insurrection and the second IMF (International Monetary Fund foreign exchange) crisis, ensures the realization of national policy directions, and serves as the 'dawn prime minister' who protects the people's mornings."
Prime Minister Minseok Kim delivers his inaugural speech at the inauguration ceremony held on the 7th at the Government Sejong Complex auditorium. Photo by Yonhap News
At the '49th Prime Minister Inauguration Ceremony' held that morning at the Government Sejong Complex, Prime Minister Kim expressed his gratitude, saying, "I thank the people who have ushered in a new era and President Lee Jaemyung for entrusting me with this role." After losing the 2002 Seoul mayoral election, he spent as many as 18 years in political obscurity. Reflecting on that period, he said, "Life was full of twists and turns, but it was a blessing," and added, "I learned that the heavens and the people are what I fear and appreciate most." Having been elected consecutively as a member of the 21st and 22nd National Assembly, and now rising to the position of 'second-in-command of state affairs,' Prime Minister Kim cited the late President Kim Dae-jung's words, "Life is beautiful and history advances," and expressed his ambition, saying, "The people of Korea will once again take a bold step forward."
Prime Minister Kim passed the National Assembly's confirmation process on July 3, just 30 days after the launch of the Lee Jaemyung administration, despite the opposition People Power Party abstaining from the vote. President Lee Jaemyung immediately approved the appointment on the day of confirmation, allowing Kim to assume office right away, but the official inauguration ceremony was held on July 7. That afternoon, he is scheduled to move to Seoul to convene a plenary session of the National Policy Planning Committee and review the progress of the Lee Jaemyung administration's policy agenda.
About an hour before the inauguration ceremony, Prime Minister Kim visited the construction site of the National Museum of Urban Architecture near the Government Sejong Complex, accompanied by Kwangyong Kim, Director-General of Disaster and Safety Management at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and others, to inspect preparations against the heatwave. The National Museum of Urban Architecture is a project with a budget of approximately 480 billion won, aiming for completion in 2029. About 130 construction workers are currently working at the site.
After receiving a briefing on the project from a site official, Prime Minister Kim stated, "Heatwaves are a social disaster that disproportionately affect the socially and economically vulnerable, as well as those working in harsh environments," and added, "We will work to prevent heatwave damage by cooperating with both central and local governments, as well as the National Assembly." He also said, "In addition to industrial sites, I will pay attention to socially vulnerable groups such as the elderly and economically disadvantaged populations," and added, "While I am in Sejong, I will take the opportunity to review appropriate support measures for vulnerable residential areas in Daejeon and the Chungcheong region."
Following President Lee's request to "take good care of Sejong," Prime Minister Kim plans to stay mainly in Sejong during his first week in office to address national policy issues. On July 9, he will personally inspect the sites designated for the National Assembly and the presidential office in Sejong, and will hold separate meetings at the Government Sejong Complex with the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences and the National Research Council of Science and Technology.
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