Presides Over First Cabinet Meeting at the Blue House
"The President's Greatest Responsibility Is National Unity"
"Politics Must Not Become War"
"You Need Sand, Gravel, Cement, and Water to Make Concrete"
Additional Work Report in Six Months... Orders All Agencies to Attend Cabinet Meetings
"Accelerate the Basic Plan for Restructuring, Consolidation, and Establishment of Public Institutions"
President Lee Jaemyung, in his first Cabinet meeting since returning to the Blue House, emphasized, "The president's greatest responsibility is to unite the people," adding, "I believe the president is ultimately responsible for creating a better tomorrow based on the unified strength of the people." This remark is interpreted as being conscious of the controversy surrounding the nomination of Lee Hyehoon, a conservative figure who had supported the impeachment of former President Yoon Sukyeol, as the candidate for Minister of Planning and Budget.
Additionally, President Lee announced that he would conduct a comprehensive work report from all ministries to mark the first anniversary of his administration, urging for acceleration in the restructuring, consolidation, and establishment of public institutions as part of public sector reform.
On the 30th, President Lee presided over the first Cabinet meeting since returning to the Blue House, which was also the last Cabinet meeting of the year, held in the Sejong Room of the main building. He stated, "With the year-end and New Year period, and so many domestic and international issues, I keep reflecting on what the role and duties of the president truly are." He continued, "The conclusion is that, until becoming president, one may represent a particular group, but the moment one becomes president, one must represent everyone." This Cabinet meeting marked both his first since returning to the Blue House and the final one of the year.
President Lee then explained the difference between war and politics, stressing that politics must not become war. He said, "In war, you conquer and take everything. If necessary, you can eliminate everything. But politics should not be like that. If only the group that participated in seizing ultimate power enjoys everything and excludes all others, it becomes war."
He continued, "Those who like the color blue may hold power, but that does not mean they can turn the entire society blue. Isn't it because of the mindset that everyone who is not me is an enemy to be eliminated that civil strife has occurred? To make concrete, you need to gather sand, gravel, cement, and water. Only then can you move toward a new world."
President Lee reiterated his plan to conduct a comprehensive work report from all ministries to mark the first anniversary of his administration, urging for faster progress in public institution restructuring, consolidation, and establishment. He said, "I will conduct another work report in six months," adding, "Sometimes people spend time without knowing what needs to be done and only enjoy the benefits. In six months, I also plan to check the affiliated institutions and subordinate organizations." This appeared to be directed at figures such as Lee Hakjae, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, who were criticized for not fully understanding their work during the reporting process.
President Lee also stated, "It is now clear that public institutions need to be reformed," and requested, "Please quickly establish a basic plan on how to reform public institutions, including whether there is a need for consolidation or new establishments." He further instructed, "It seems that the agencies under ministries are not under proper command and operate independently. Unless there are special circumstances, ensure that all such agencies attend Cabinet meetings from now on."
Furthermore, President Lee stated that, upon his return to the Blue House, he would more firmly establish the principle that "the people are at the center of state affairs, and the completeness of governance is achieved through the people." He once again highlighted that this year’s export and foreign investment attraction figures reached all-time highs. President Lee said, "As of the 29th, exports surpassed a record $700 billion this year, and foreign investment attraction also reached an all-time high. This is all thanks to the citizens and companies who gave their best on the front lines." According to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Korea Customs Service, South Korea’s exports exceeded $700 billion for the first time in history. It is the first time since the establishment of the government in 1948, making South Korea the sixth country in the world to surpass $700 billion in exports, following the United States (2000), Germany (2003), China (2005), Japan (2007), and the Netherlands (2018).
President Lee stated, "This year, we overcame an unprecedented national crisis through the unified strength of the people and laid a valuable foundation for the recovery of the people’s livelihood economy and the normalization of the nation." He continued, "In the new year, we will boldly advance toward a great national leap and growth for all, based on the remarkable capabilities of the Korean people. In particular, we will unite our strength beyond ideology and gather wisdom across all camps."
During the subsequent ministry reports, the Office for Government Policy Coordination presented the "Follow-up Action Plan for Ministry Work Reports" and the "2025 Progress and 2026 Plan for National Policy Tasks," while the Ministry of Economy and Finance reported on the operation plan for the pan-government K-GX (Korea Green Transformation) Task Force.
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