[Full Text] Jeong Cheongrae: "Settling the Rebellion Is Not Political Retaliation... It Will Be an Opportunity for True Conservative Revival"

Full Text of Jeong Cheongrae’s Speech as the National Assembly Negotiating Group Leader

On September 9, Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, emphasized that settling the issue of rebellion is not about political retaliation, but about eradicating wrongdoing and corruption, underscoring its legitimacy. He criticized the People Power Party, stating that they have failed to completely resolve the legacy of rebellion and urged them to break away from the past for the sake of democracy.

Jeong Cheongrae, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a negotiation group leader's speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the 9th. 2025.9.9 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

In his speech as the representative of the negotiating group at the National Assembly that day, Jeong repeatedly stressed the importance of settling the issue of rebellion. He said, "Resolving the issue of rebellion is not political retaliation, but about ending the privatization of power, the exploitation of division, and the wrongdoings committed behind the mask of justice." He added, "Settling the issue of rebellion is not a power struggle, but about eradicating corruption that ignored the lives of the people," and emphasized, "This is not a matter of progressives versus conservatives."

He then raised his voice in criticism of the People Power Party, saying that they have failed to sever ties with the forces of rebellion. Jeong stated, "The unresolved past does not only torment progressives; it also tempts moral conservatives to fall into corruption," and "Ultimately, it incites conservatives to support emergency martial law and join hands with the far-right."

Jeong said, "A complete settlement of the rebellion issue will serve as an opportunity for conservatives to restore true conservatism and achieve moral revival," emphasizing that a thorough investigation into the truth of the rebellion and the punishment of those responsible is the starting point. He continued, "We must swiftly pass the amendments to the three major special prosecutor laws to restore the collapsed democracy and constitutional order," and added, "The National Assembly's democratic control over martial law must be further strengthened."

Below is the full text of Jeong Cheongrae's speech as the representative of the negotiating group at the National Assembly

"Let us usher in the era of popular sovereignty together with the Lee Jaemyung administration"

Respected citizens, Speaker Woo Wonshik, fellow senior and junior lawmakers, Prime Minister Kim Minseok, and members of the Cabinet, I am Jeong Cheongrae, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. As we welcome the first regular session of the National Assembly under the Lee Jaemyung administration, I stand here with a great sense of responsibility.

I hope that this 2025 regular session of the National Assembly will not only set new goals for the era of popular sovereignty, but also sincerely address issues that have long been ignored or must not be forgotten.

Fellow citizens and lawmakers, the Republic of Korea is a nation governed by the rule of law. The supreme law is the Constitution. Article 1, Clause 1 of the Constitution states: "The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic. The people are the sovereign."

Our modern history is like grass that rises before the wind after being flattened. It is a history that proved the people are the true owners of the nation. When powerful countries coveted the Korean Peninsula, it was the people who sought to save the nation in crisis. It was the Donghak Army, with the philosophy of "Innaecheon" (humans are heaven) in their hearts. This was the beginning of our history of democracy, with the people taking the lead as the sovereign.

However, it was the Japanese army, in collusion with the government forces, that crushed the dream of Donghak at Ugeumchi. Yet, the spirit and memory of democracy were not broken. The will that "the people are the owners of the nation" was not extinguished. "Innaecheon" became the heart of the March 1st Movement. This led to a massive uprising involving 2.02 million people, 10% of the population at the time. Ahn Changho said, "In the past, there was only one emperor, but today, all 20 million people are emperors."

The reason the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea could inscribe "democratic republic" in its provisional charter was because the March 1st Movement made it clear that the people are the true owners of the nation.

When the body of Kim Juyul surfaced off the coast of Masan, the people remembered again: "We are the owners of the nation." In the square during the April 19 Revolution, the people overthrew a corrupt government. When their friends fell before the guns of the state they trusted, Yoon Sangwon of Gwangju cried out, "We are the owners of the nation." During the May 18 Democratization Movement, the people of Gwangju restored order themselves and ultimately saved democracy by resisting the brutal violence of the military coup.

On the Nakdong River front, at Baekma Hill and Bloody Ridge, fathers gave their lives asking, "How could we lose the country we reclaimed?" In the Guro Industrial Complex, Busan Sasang Industrial Complex, and Cheonggyecheon, mothers wrote the miracle of the Han River with nothing but the will to "live better." Their sons and daughters never forgot that we were the true owners of this nation.

A philosopher in psychoanalysis once said, "The unconscious that you cannot resolve will repeat itself in your children's lives." In June 1987, people stood together in work clothes and neckties on the streets.

With the Gwanghwamun candlelight vigils in memory of the Sewol ferry, the cheering sticks in Yeouido and Namtaeryeong that drove out the darkness of rebellion, we have once again raised the history of the era of popular sovereignty.

The preamble to our Constitution is a record of democracy won through tears of blood. "We, the people of Korea, with a proud history and tradition, inherit the legal legitimacy of the Provisional Government established by the March 1st Movement and the April 19th democratic ideals that resisted injustice, and are committed to democratic reform and peaceful unification of the nation."

Our Constitution emerged from the frozen ground together with the people. Through nine amendments, just as the people have grown with democracy, the Constitution itself has matured enough to protect itself.

The Constitutional Court's impeachment decision for Yoon Sukyeol records, "The benefit of protecting the Constitution by removing the respondent from office is deemed to far outweigh the national loss that comes with the removal of the president."

In normal times, the president's authority is protected, but in the face of rebellion or treason, the Constitution protects itself. Impeachment is not a fight between ruling and opposition parties. It is the people holding a president who violated the Constitution accountable. Our Constitution has grown on the tears of the people. Because our Constitution prohibits the dissolution of the National Assembly by a dictator, we were able to finally overcome the night of rebellion.

As we welcome the first regular session of the National Assembly under the Lee Jaemyung administration, I express my deep gratitude to the people who have protected the nation, revived democracy, and safeguarded the National Assembly. Even in the hearts of soldiers who did not lose their sense of justice in the face of unjust orders, the awareness that "the people" must be protected was deeply rooted. Truly, thank you.

Respected fellow lawmakers, settling the issue of rebellion is not political retaliation. It is about ending the privatization of power, the exploitation of division, and the wrongdoings committed behind the mask of justice.

Settling the issue of rebellion is not a power struggle. It is about eradicating corruption that ignored the lives of the people. This is not a matter of progressives versus conservatives. It is about eliminating those who violated the constitutional duty to command the armed forces, betrayed the people, and drove the people into peril.

We witnessed during the night of rebellion that problems swept under the rug in the past can cause even greater pain today. Settling the issue of rebellion is about breaking away from the past that torments us. It is the spirit of our times for those living today.

German philosopher Hannah Arendt said, "The past that evades responsibility returns to haunt the present." The unresolved past does not only torment progressives. It tempts moral conservatives to fall into corruption. It whispers that those who collaborated with the Japanese during the colonial era are now living well.

Jeong Cheongrae, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a speech as the representative of the negotiating group at the National Assembly plenary session on the 9th. 2025.9.9 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

It incites respected conservatives to ignore the people. It falsely claims that if you use force, people will obey without question. The unresolved past ultimately incites conservatives to support emergency martial law and join hands with the far-right.

On the contrary, a complete settlement of the rebellion issue will serve as an opportunity for conservatives to restore true conservatism and achieve moral revival. Now is the time for both ruling and opposition parties, conservatives and progressives, to come together and resolve this longstanding historical task for sincere democracy and justice.

A thorough investigation into the truth of the rebellion and the punishment of those responsible is the starting point. We must swiftly pass the amendments to the three major special prosecutor laws to restore the collapsed democracy and constitutional order. The National Assembly has proven itself as the last bastion of democracy. The National Assembly's democratic control over martial law must be further strengthened.

There are soldiers who resisted illegal orders. To keep their spirit alive, we will amend the Military Service Act. So that a history of evading responsibility does not torment us again, as writer Han Kang said, the past must help the present, and delayed justice must be realized. With the amendment of the Independence Hall Act, we will prevent the undermining of the spirit of independence. With the enactment of the Democratic Merit Act, we will remember the victims of the democratization movement.

The Republic of Korea must move toward the future. I earnestly propose to the People Power Party: Sever ties with the rebellion. Escape from the swamp of rebellion. And sincerely apologize to the people, saying, "We were wrong." How much longer will you bear the disgrace of being called the rebellion party? If you fail to break away from the forces of rebellion this time, you may become subject to a constitutional dissolution trial. Remember this. Break out of the outdated far-right framework and join hands with democracy. I look forward to a progressive change in the attitude of the People Power Party.

Fellow citizens and lawmakers, politics is the act of making decisions. If only one person makes decisions, it is absolute monarchy and dictatorship. Democracy is when each person has one vote and decisions are made equally. Our politics has developed in this way.

However, there are blind spots in our democracy where decisions are made by a few. These are the prosecution, the judiciary, and the media. These institutions have wielded unchecked power. As with everything, there were times when this was inevitable. Even after liberation, indiscriminate investigations and torture by pro-Japanese police continued. The Constitutional Assembly temporarily granted investigative powers to the prosecution to prevent this.

The three major reforms are about restoring abnormal situations to normal and updating them to fit the times. Reform is not a political struggle. In our daily lives, we frequently fix things that do not fit. In the economy and culture, as new fields and areas emerge, there are always parts that do not fit reality.

Fixing those is reform. Naturally, there are progressive reforms and conservative reforms.

Absolute monopoly leads to absolute corruption. By eliminating absolute monopolies, power institutions can free themselves from absolute corruption. Moving from monopoly to division, from rule by a few to participation by many, is the democracy of the era of popular sovereignty.

The root of prosecutorial corruption is the monopoly over investigation and indictment. We will separate investigation and indictment. The Public Prosecution Office will be placed under the Ministry of Justice, the Central Investigation Office under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Prosecutors' Office will be abolished.

Reform is about timing. On your way home for Chuseok, I hope to deliver the joyful news that "the Prosecutors' Office has been abolished, and it has disappeared into history." There was a time when Yoon Sukyeol, the primary suspect in the rebellion, was released, and suspicions arose about Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Heedae's involvement in the presidential election. The arrest warrant for Prime Minister Han Ducksoo was dismissed.

The trial of defendant Yoon Sukyeol is progressing as slowly as "bed football." Many people are worried that Yoon Sukyeol might be released again due to the expiration of the detention period.

There is a growing public demand for a dedicated court for rebellion cases.

Judicial reform is also urgently needed. The excessive workload of judges and the closed structure of the courts result in rulings that do not meet public expectations. We will establish a trustworthy judicial system by amending the Court Organization Act and the Criminal Procedure Act to increase the number of Supreme Court justices and introduce a judge evaluation system.

In particular, increasing the number of Supreme Court justices should not be opposed. The National Assembly is offering to reduce the overwhelming workload that makes it impossible to read all the investigation records. As administrative demand increases, all government organizations are requesting increased budgets and personnel. Strangely, this is the first organization I have seen that opposes the National Assembly's offer to increase its budget and personnel. The judiciary itself must be proactive in reform.

Freedom of the press is guaranteed by the people for their right to know. Therefore, the responsibility that comes with freedom must also be a duty of the media for the people. Journalist Walter Freeman said, "When the media is corrupt, society is inevitably sick." On January 17, Sky Daily published a front-page article about 99 Chinese spies arrested in Korea and interference in the Korea-US elections. They even labeled an election commission staff member as a Chinese spy. This was clearly fake news intended to aid the forces of rebellion and confuse the public. "Captain Korea," who lied, was arrested, but somewhere in the virtual world, pure citizens are still being deceived by false information.

Many people have suffered alone and even made extreme choices due to false and manipulated information. We will protect our citizens with the "Fake Information Eradication Act" and the "Media Arbitration and Damage Relief Act."

Last August, the National Assembly already passed the three broadcasting laws to return public broadcasting to the people. Media reform is not about restricting press freedom. By expelling a tiny minority of fake news, we aim to protect the honor of the majority of journalists.

We will no longer postpone this historic task. There is a golden time for reform. Reform must be achieved when it is needed, at that moment. I urge the opposition to participate magnanimously.

Respected citizens, Speaker Woo Wonshik, fellow lawmakers, Prime Minister Kim Minseok, and members of the Cabinet, we must go beyond settling the rebellion and completing the task of reform to set Korea on the path to a new leap forward.

The Lee Jaemyung administration has laid the foundation for economic growth along with the advancement of democracy. With the launch of the Lee Jaemyung administration, the nation has stabilized, and Korea's credibility in the international community has increased. The economy is about confidence. As a result, the KOSPI index has surged to 3,200. The launch of the Lee Jaemyung administration has sent a positive signal for economic growth.

We will lead the era of advanced technology symbolized by AI and establish a foundational society to prepare for the era of ultra-scientific civilization. From people's livelihoods to public safety, from growth strategies suited to the era of popular sovereignty to diplomacy for national interests and peace on the Korean Peninsula, we will open a new era of happiness for the people through their participation.

The first words of President Lee Jaemyung upon inauguration were "restoring livelihoods and overcoming the economic crisis." Yesterday, at a meeting between President Lee and the leaders of both ruling and opposition parties, a bold and refreshing agreement was reached on people's livelihoods. This was possible thanks to the President's strong will. The "Livelihood Economy Council" must not be a showpiece, but a council that delivers real results based on the spirit of pragmatism. Its very existence will give hope to the people. The Democratic Party will take the lead with confidence.

Article 34 of our Constitution states, "All citizens have the right to a life worthy of human dignity." Democracy must begin in a republic of livelihoods where the lives of each citizen are thoroughly respected. All citizens must be guaranteed a basic standard of living without discrimination in areas such as income, housing, healthcare, welfare, energy, and communications. Raising the real income and quality of life of the people is the foundation of a basic society, the spirit of the Constitution, and the spirit of our times.

The foundation of a basic society is the recovery of livelihoods. The first step in restoring livelihoods is to revive the virtuous cycle of income and consumption. We will help small business owners and vulnerable groups reduce their debt burdens and return to the formal financial system. We will also support the government's credit amnesty for 3.24 million diligent payers and expand the New Start Fund.

We will actively promote amendments to the Commercial Building Lease Protection Act to prevent unfair rent increases, the Banking Act to prevent excessive bank margin rates, and the Franchise Business Act to strengthen the bargaining power of franchisees.

Jeong Cheongrae, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a negotiation group leader's speech at the National Assembly plenary session on the 9th. 2025.9.9 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

Everyone has potential. Just as an acorn contains the potential to become a great oak tree, I am confident that the people who have risen again will become the protagonists of growth and innovation and will one day help all of us in return.

Thanks to the Lee Jaemyung administration's consumer coupons, production, consumption, and investment all increased significantly in July. In August, the consumer sentiment index recovered to its highest level in seven years and seven months, revitalizing local businesses and traditional markets. One in two small business owners says their sales have increased.

Two weeks from now, on September 22, the second round of consumer coupons will be distributed. We will take full responsibility and meticulously oversee the process to ensure that consumer coupons invigorate the entire Korean economy.

The number of victims of jeonse fraud has already surpassed 30,000, with young people being particularly affected.

We will strengthen the Jeonse Fraud Victim Protection Act. We will expand the eligibility for public rental housing support for victims and add consulting services for safe jeonse contracts to the support center's work. We will also pursue the establishment of a separate bad bank for jeonse fraud victim relief. We will eradicate the root of jeonse fraud this time. We will strengthen the law to impose harsher penalties for collective fraud crimes like jeonse fraud.

Among the livelihood bills that were scrapped by the Yoon Sukyeol administration's exercise of the right to request reconsideration, those aimed at protecting farmers and fishermen, such as the Grain Management Act and the Agricultural and Fishery Disaster Countermeasures Act, have passed the plenary session under the Lee Jaemyung administration. We will work closely with the government to ensure food security and real improvements in the lives of farmers and fishermen.

I believe that overcoming the rebellion and the success of the Lee Jaemyung administration are the spirit of our times. I am convinced that the success of the Lee Jaemyung administration is the shortcut to Korea's economic leap forward. Since President Lee's meetings with leaders of other countries, our strategic industries such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, and defense have begun to stretch their wings. Democratic governments have always achieved better economic growth, and President Lee will also revive our economy.

I think of the presidents of previous administrations. The Kim Daejung administration overcame the IMF foreign exchange crisis through structural reform and fiscal austerity. The growth rate, which was -4.9% in 1998, soared to +11.6% in 1999. The introduction of the Basic Livelihood Security System laid the foundation for a welfare state. The cultural policy shift of "Support, but do not interfere" led to the birth of Hallyu, making Korea a cultural powerhouse known for Squid Game, BTS, and K-pop Demon Hunters.

In particular, the foresight to build a high-speed internet network led Korea to become an ICT powerhouse. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Korea became the world's leading country in overcoming COVID-19 thanks to its world-class ICT-based contact tracing capabilities.

The Roh Moo-hyun administration ushered in the era of $20,000 per capita income. The average annual growth rate reached 4.5%. Like the dead reviving the living, President Roh's FTAs are now saving us amid rising protectionism.

Despite the shock of COVID-19, the Moon Jae-in administration led Korea into the era of $30,000 per capita income. With 4.6% growth, Korea recorded the fastest recovery among OECD countries. In 2017, the trade balance ranked fifth in the world, and in 2021, exports reached a record high of $644.5 billion, making Korea the world's seventh-largest exporter.

The 747 policy of the Lee Myung-bak administration, which aimed for 7% growth, $40,000 income, and becoming one of the world's top 7 economies, ended in disastrous failure. Under the Park Geun-hye administration, household debt soared to 1,400 trillion won, and the failure of chaebol reform rendered economic democratization an empty slogan. President Lee Myung-bak was imprisoned for corruption, and President Park Geun-hye was impeached for state affairs manipulation.

President Yoon Sukyeol is not only guilty of being impeached and imprisoned as the ringleader of rebellion. The Yoon Sukyeol administration has also produced disastrous results in diplomacy and the economy. As the trade deficit with China widened, Korea ranked 200th out of 208 countries in the IMF's import-export statistics for the first half of 2023. Even North Korea, which ranked 109th, performed better.

The claim that conservatives are better at managing the economy is now an outdated song lyric. To truly revive our economy, the Democratic Party will focus all its efforts on the Lee Jaemyung administration's growth policies, represented by ABCDEF.

A. A stands for fostering AI-centered advanced industries. In line with the Lee Jaemyung administration's goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI powers, we will promote an AI transformation centered on major industries such as robotics, automobiles, shipbuilding, home appliances, and semiconductors. We will enact the AI Data Promotion Act to establish a national support system for AI data centers. The Industrial Digital Transformation Promotion Act will help integrate AI technology across industries and public services. The Special Act on Fostering AI Industry Talent will nurture talent for the AI industry. The Special Act on Fostering and Advancing the AI Industry will enhance industrial productivity and efficiency. Semiconductors are our main export product. The Special Act on the Semiconductor Industry will enhance the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry. We will make Korea the world's No. 1 semiconductor nation with overwhelming technological superiority.

B. B stands for fostering the bio industry. The Lee Jaemyung administration aims to make Korea a powerhouse in medical AI, pharmaceuticals, and biohealth, targeting $50 billion in biohealth exports and a 35% increase in exports by 2030. The Ministry of Science and ICT has increased the budget for bio and medical technology development from 361.1 billion won to 434.3 billion won. We will provide systematic support for doctors and scientists and help develop medical AI technology. We will strengthen infrastructure through bold regulatory innovation to foster innovative pharmaceutical and bio companies.

C. C stands for supporting the cultural content industry. Culture is a tree that grows in the soil of democracy and freedom. President Kim Daejung emphasized the cultivation of the cultural industry in his inaugural address, and bold cultural openness paved the way for Hallyu. In 2021, under the Moon Jae-in administration, cultural content exports reached a record high of $12.4 billion. The British magazine Monocle ranked Korea second in the world for soft power in 2021. President Lee Jaemyung also said at his inauguration, "Culture is both the economy and international competitiveness." If the government refrains from interference and nurtures the foundation of basic arts and humanities, achieving the goal of becoming one of the world's top five cultural powers in soft power is fully possible.

The Lee Jaemyung administration has set goals of a 300 trillion won K-culture market, 50 trillion won in cultural exports, and an 80% positive national image rating by 2030. We will foster core content and support industries related to Hallyu. We will strategically support the eight core K-content industries: games, music, film, animation, publishing, webtoons, broadcasting and video, and OTT content.

D. D stands for strengthening defense capabilities and expanding the defense industry. The defense industry is a new export sector as well as a means of strengthening national defense. Our defense industry has grown significantly along with the strengthening of national defense under democratic governments. Under the Roh Moo-hyun administration, the average annual increase in defense spending was 8.4%, the highest ever. In 2022, the Moon Jae-in administration allocated a record 55 trillion won for the defense budget. Under the Park Geun-hye administration, the increase was 4.2%, and under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, it was 4.1%. Conservative governments have only talked about defense, but have shown neither interest nor will in strengthening self-reliant defense.

President Roh Moo-hyun decided to introduce the K2 tank, KDX-III destroyer, and airborne early warning and control aircraft. President Moon Jae-in advanced Korea's three-axis system and made Korea the seventh country in the world to successfully launch an SLBM. Strengthening defense capabilities not only reassures the people, but is also the core capacity for maintaining and building peace. It is also the strength to confidently pursue peace on the Korean Peninsula. President Lee Jaemyung said, "The defense industry not only strengthens Korea's security, but is also a future growth industry."

The Democratic Party will actively support the government's goal of becoming one of the world's top four defense industry powers. We will provide financial, fiscal, and tax support for defense exports and actively support expanded investment in R&D and infrastructure in advanced strategic sectors.

E. E stands for developing the eco-friendly energy industry. The Lee Jaemyung administration's goal is to expand renewable energy by establishing energy highways and RE100 industrial complexes. The government will quickly build a high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission line along the west coast and complete an energy highway connecting the west, south, and east coasts of the Korean Peninsula. The RE100 industrial complexes will be developed based on the principle of local production and consumption, and to achieve carbon neutrality, the government will meet the 2030 greenhouse gas reduction target, set a 2035 reduction target, and establish a long-term reduction roadmap through 2050. The Democratic Party will actively support these efforts by enacting the Special Act on RE100 Industrial Complexes and the Special Act on the Carbon Neutral Industry.

F. F stands for the advancement and revival of manufacturing. Korea is a traditional manufacturing powerhouse. To become one of the world's top four manufacturing powers, we must innovate our key industries. The Lee Jaemyung administration plans to enhance the competitiveness of major industries such as semiconductors, secondary batteries, automobiles, shipbuilding, and machinery, and to achieve self-sufficiency in core technologies for materials, parts, and equipment. We will also work to advance the struggling petrochemical and steel industries. The Democratic Party will support these efforts by enacting the Special Act on Strengthening Steel Industry Competitiveness and Transitioning to Green Steel Technology and the Special Act on the Semiconductor Industry. The application of AI to manufacturing is also very important. We will enact the Industrial Digital Transformation Promotion Act to ensure that AI is applied throughout the manufacturing sector.

President Lee Jaemyung said, "Taking someone's life to save costs is social murder." Along with the revival of manufacturing, we will also put an end to industrial accident fatalities. We will make President Lee's determination to make this year "the first year of eradicating industrial accident deaths" a reality.

Jeong Cheongrae, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering a speech as the representative of the negotiating group at the National Assembly plenary session on the 9th. 2025.9.9 Photo by Kim Hyunmin

At the recent Korea-US Business Roundtable, President Lee Jaemyung said, "Korea is the optimal partner for achieving America's manufacturing renaissance." Despite tariff increases, semiconductor exports are up 27.1% year-on-year, automobile exports are up 8.6%, and ship exports have increased for six consecutive months. President Lee will expand the Korea-US alliance into an economic alliance. The manufacturing sectors of Korea and the United States will achieve win-win results.

Fellow citizens and lawmakers, the recent Korea-US summit was not just a "success," but an "unprecedented" success. Above all, it was an achievement accomplished in negotiations with President Trump, who is known for being unpredictable and difficult to negotiate with. President Lee Jaemyung demonstrated his qualities as an outstanding strategist and negotiator. By naming President Trump a "peacemaker," he elicited the response, "Kim Jongun and I have built a strong relationship, and that remains true today."

This raised America's interest in peace on the Korean Peninsula once again. The suggestion to "build Trump World in North Korea and play golf" must have caught the attention of President Trump, who thinks of politics as business. The remarks about "peacemaker" and "pacemaker" were also undoubtedly strategic.

I was reminded of President Kim Daejung's advice to politicians: "A scholar's sense of problem and a merchant's sense of reality." A person with clear principles and vision will not go in the wrong direction, but with a merchant's sense of reality, those principles and vision must be realized in practice. He also said, "For the sake of national interest, you must be willing to shake hands with the devil."

Korea is a country that lives by exports. We need a president who will devote himself entirely to the national interest. We need a president who can successfully negotiate with a merchant's sense of reality for the sake of the nation's vision. This achievement is the result of President Lee's "pragmatic diplomacy focused on national interest," built on the foundation of the diplomatic capabilities of democratic governments since President Kim Daejung. It is a victory for the people who have consistently believed in and supported this policy. President Lee's words, "Through pragmatic diplomacy centered on national interest, we will protect both peace and the lives of the people," contain the solution for diplomacy in the era of popular sovereignty and peace on the Korean Peninsula.

The ball tossed by the Korea-US leaders is now in the National Assembly's court. Building on the solid foundation of the Korea-US alliance, we must use the results of the recent summit as nourishment to develop a new, future-oriented alliance. The National Assembly will also focus diplomacy on enriching the lives of the people, based on pragmatic diplomacy. We will firmly support President Lee Jaemyung and lighten his burden.

The litmus test will be the 2025 APEC Summit to be held in Gyeongju. The Gyeongju APEC Summit will showcase Korea's renewed leap forward to leaders from around the world. It will reaffirm President Lee Jaemyung's commitment to peace on the Korean Peninsula, highlight Korea as an attractive investment destination, and open new trade routes.

There is no distinction between ruling and opposition parties or between progressives and conservatives when it comes to the national interest. I hope the National Assembly will actively cooperate, thinking that the success of APEC is the success of the country and its people. Fellow citizens and lawmakers, the Ministry of Unification has allocated 1.0025 trillion won for the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund in 2026. This is a 25% increase compared to the 2025 budget set by the Yoon Sukyeol administration.

The most noteworthy part of this budget is the allocation for economic cooperation projects. It has increased nearly threefold from 60.6 billion won to 178.9 billion won. This is the budget for restoration and construction projects needed for the resumption of economic cooperation projects like the Kaesong Industrial Complex. This demonstrates the commitment of the Lee Jaemyung administration. President Lee Jaemyung said, "Peace is the economy, and peace is daily bread." That's right. The key to renewed inter-Korean cooperation is economic cooperation. If the two Koreas join forces, the economy will immediately grow and jobs will increase. If the scope of cooperation expands to Northeast Asia, a new economic community will emerge.

This budget also includes allocations to address forest, environmental, and humanitarian issues closely related to the lives of residents in border areas. Funding for the activities of private organizations and support for separated families has also increased. Efforts for inter-Korean reconciliation must benefit the lives of individual citizens. I am convinced that only when the people's will for reconciliation and interest in peace grow will denuclearization and permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula become possible. We must add "livelihood unification" to "economic unification."

In areas where the government has been unable to act, the religious, sports, and cultural communities have opened channels for dialogue and cooperation. Jinwoo, head monk of the Jogye Order, has pledged to do his part for the UNESCO inscription of Mount Geumgang. We will enable the private sector to participate more actively in inter-Korean reconciliation. I hope North Korea also understands that President Lee Jaemyung seeks inter-Korean exchanges for the happiness of the people, even if not for political exchanges.

Mahatma Gandhi said, "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." The Lee Jaemyung administration's policy on peace on the Korean Peninsula is clear: "Based on strong national defense, we will thoroughly prepare for provocations, while at the same time resuming communication between the two Koreas and opening the path to peace and coexistence through dialogue and cooperation."

This is not about provoking North Korea, but about reassuring our people. The three-stage plan of freezing, reducing, and denuclearization proposed by President Lee is also a plan that, once we stand together on the path of peace, that path itself becomes the way forward. We hope for North Korea's active response.

Through Nosangwon's notebook, we learned that during the recent period of rebellion, there were forces that provoked North Korea to create a crisis and then used that crisis to kill democracy. We must completely eliminate these foreign exchange forces that endanger the lives of our people. We must ensure that incidents like the "chongpung" and "bukpung" never happen again. Prioritizing the safety of the people is the task of newly defining inter-Korean relations in the era of popular sovereignty.

Respected citizens, Speaker Woo Wonshik, fellow lawmakers, Prime Minister Kim Minseok, and members of the Cabinet, during the recent Democratic Party convention, I ran an online campaign and did not open an expensive campaign office. I conducted an election campaign that matched the expectations of the people and minimized costs. This was because citizens and party members wanted to change the old political culture. I witnessed the power of the people and party members who participated in the Candlelight Revolution and the Revolution of Light as if it were their own cause and who defended President Lee Jaemyung.

Therefore, my election as party leader was not due to my abilities. It was solely because I understood and respected the will of the people and party members. Along with the era of popular sovereignty, the era of party member sovereignty has also begun. The people are much more mature, moral, and responsible than those of us in the National Assembly may think.

Even when the government and authorities failed to resolve the long-standing task of settling the legacy of Japanese colonial rule, the people remembered and revived more independence activists. Writers discovered and brought to light more independence activists through their research, meetings, and journeys. The people set history straight in their own way. The people know better than anyone that only through accumulated small actions and cooperation can democracy, the environment, and a sustainable economy be protected.

That is right. Each citizen has become their own heaven. This is what the Lee Jaemyung administration calls the era of popular sovereignty. Justice must live and breathe not only at the desk, but also at home, in the streets, in villages, in factories, and at the dinner table. A political culture of habitual opposition and habitual reconciliation only drives us further apart.

If the legacy of pro-Japanese collaboration had been settled, there would be no room for distrust. Only a thorough settlement of the rebellion provides a genuine basis for reconciliation. This is what the people expect from the political world, and it is why the Lee Jaemyung administration must succeed.

This is the era of popular sovereignty. I sincerely hope that the ruling and opposition parties will compete to see who best serves the people as sovereigns, who communicates best with the people, who reforms best for the people, and who best cares for people's livelihoods. I hope the first regular session of the National Assembly under the Lee Jaemyung administration will be the starting point.

Thank you for listening to the end.