[Full Text] President Lee Receives “People’s Letter of Appointment,” Issues “Letter to the People”

‘People’s Appointment Ceremony’ Held at Gwanghwamun Square Just 72 Days After Inauguration

On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day on August 15, President Lee Jaemyung emphasized “popular sovereignty” as the highest value in state affairs during the “People’s Appointment Ceremony.” He declared, “As the 21st President of the Republic of Korea, I will serve as a faithful servant to the sovereign people, boldly advancing toward a nation where the people are the true owners and where happiness abounds.” President Lee stated, “It is an immeasurable honor to receive the letter of appointment, and I feel an equally immense sense of responsibility,” adding that he would place the aspirations of citizens, which erupted in the public squares last winter, at the heart of national governance.

Yonhap News

The following is the full text of President Lee’s “Letter to the People.”

On this 80th Liberation Day, when the light of popular sovereignty was restored,

Receiving the letter of appointment filled with the earnest wishes of the people,

I feel boundless honor and an equally profound sense of responsibility.

Just as the multicolored cries filled the squares last winter,

Today, the hopes of 52 million citizens overflow in this place.

Each individual dream shines brightly toward the future,

Yet our most urgent, shared goal is clear.

It is a call to build a “better nation,”

And to usher in an “era of happiness for the people,” filled with dreams and hope.

On August 15, 1945, 80 years ago, those born with the birth cry of liberation,

Having witnessed the nation’s growth with their own lives, now stand here as octogenarians.

Those precious lives born aboard the “Hungnam Evacuation Ship” during the ravages of war in 1950,

Are now seventy-four years old, their hair turned white,

And are witnessing a Republic of Korea that is strong and unshakable.

Thanks to those who defended the nation with their lives on the battlefields of independence and national defense,

And to those who toiled in distant foreign lands to achieve modernization,

The Republic of Korea now stands as the world’s tenth-largest economic powerhouse.

From the 4·19 Revolution, through the 5·18 Democratization Movement and the June Struggle,

To the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light,

Whenever the nation faced a crisis, you held the brightest things in your hands,

And dispelled the darkness, allowing our hard-won democracy to breathe again.

Though hardships and trials seemed never-ending over the course of eight decades,

The people of Korea have always risen resolutely.

Each and every one of your lives, which protected the past, saved the present, and will open the future,

Is itself the very modern history of our Republic of Korea.

In every place touched by our blood, sweat, and tears,

New lives of peace, human rights, freedom, and solidarity have blossomed,

Transforming utter despair and crisis into a history of change and opportunity.

As our remarkable 80-year modern history proves,

The true source of Korea’s national strength has always been its people.

As before, the “government of popular sovereignty”

Will always place the people-the source of our national strength-

At the center of its philosophy and vision for governance.

The capability of the people is the capability of the nation.

The prosperity of the people is the path to the prosperity of Korea.

Empowering the potential and capabilities of our people will drive national development,

The happiness of each of our 52 million citizens will strengthen our national power,

And in a “nation where the people are the owners,” all citizens will share in that strength.

At the heart of every future we imagine and dream of,

The great people of Korea will stand.

The wishes of children that their beloved schools will not disappear,

The hopes of elders that our villages will overflow with children,

We will carry the earnest wishes of all our people with a sense of solemn responsibility,

And move forward toward a Korea where everyone can be happy together.

The heartfelt desire of the residents of “Freedom Village” in Daeseong-dong, Paju, to live without war and without worry,

And the tears of bereaved families from tragedies, hoping there will be no more unjust deaths,

We will do everything in our power to ensure these wishes blossom into a “peaceful and safe nation.”

The passionate dreams of our forebears who yearned for the “power of high culture,”

Are now becoming reality, thanks to the sweat and effort of the cultural figures and aspiring athletes gathered here today.

I will help these dreams take flight.

To ensure our entrepreneurs, who turn challenges into opportunities,

Can grow freely and compete confidently on the world stage,

And to ensure our scientists and engineers, who are preparing for the nation’s future,

Can focus solely on innovation, I will provide steadfast support.

Dear and respected citizens,

The adversity before us is unprecedentedly daunting,

But compared to the many hardships we have already overcome, it is by no means insurmountable.

With united strength, let us overcome today’s crisis

And bequeath an even more glorious homeland to future generations.

Here and now, as the 21st President of the Republic of Korea, appointed by the people,

I, Lee Jaemyung,

As a faithful servant to the sovereign people of Korea,

Will place my trust solely in the people and,

March boldly toward a nation where the people are the true owners,

And toward a Korea where everyone is happy.

I am endlessly proud to have been appointed President of a nation rebuilt by our great people!

I will surely return this pride as joy and happiness to all our people.

Thank you.