[New Year's Address] President Lee: "The First Year of a Great Leap Forward, Running Vigorously Like the Red Horse"

President Lee Jae-myung's New Year's Address on January 1
2026 Marked as "A Time of Recovery and Normalization"
New Year's Government Goal: "The First Year of a Great Leap Forward"
Five Paths of Grand Transformation Proposed for Major Progress
"No Time for Hesitation, Now Is the Time for Action"

Yonhap News

On January 1, President Lee Jae-myung declared, "This year, I will make it a year of vigorous progress, like the Red Horse, and the first year of Korea’s great leap forward." To achieve this, he proposed a "grand transformation" that would completely change the paradigm of growth.

Lee: "Solely for the Lives of the People... Now We Must Run Faster"

Marking the Year of Byeongo (2026), President Lee delivered his first New Year's address since taking office, stating, "The goal of the new year’s government of national sovereignty is clear." He emphasized, "We will achieve a significant leap and growth in all areas, including politics, economy, society, culture, diplomacy, and security. The only standard is the lives of the people." This signals his intention to focus government administration in his second year in office not on "recovery" but on "growth."

President Lee described 2025 as "a time of recovery and normalization when we all overcame worries and anxieties," and recalled, "Restoring a nation devastated by civil unrest was the most urgent task." He also evaluated the introduction of the citizen recommendation system, town hall meetings, and live Cabinet broadcasts as "hopeful changes," saying that "the collective intelligence of the sovereign people has begun to take center stage in governance." He cited additional achievements, including the highest level of consumer sentiment in seven years and seven months, an upward trend in economic growth, the KOSPI surpassing 4,000, the conclusion of tariff negotiations with the United States, and negotiations on nuclear-powered submarines and uranium enrichment.

However, President Lee cautioned, "We are only at the starting line," and stressed, "Because we are late compared to others, we must now run even faster." He particularly underscored the need for a "grand transformation" to achieve a major leap this year. President Lee criticized, "The formula for success that once drove high growth has now become a trap, holding us back. The concentration of resources and opportunities is no longer a stepping stone for growth, but an obstacle." He explained, "We must completely change the paradigm of growth. Taking a new path, not the familiar old one, is the shortcut that will lead Korea to a new future of great progress."

He presented five directions for this grand transformation: growth led by local regions; growth for all; sustainable growth with safety as a foundation; attractive growth driven by culture; and stable growth underpinned by peace.

Lee: "Grand Transformation to a Five-Region, Three-Special-Zone System, Continued Easing of Inter-Korean Tensions"

Yonhap News

President Lee stated, "The grand transformation from a single-capital-centered system to a five-region, three-special-zone system is not a favor or consideration for local regions, but an essential strategy for Korea’s re-leap," pledging, "The farther from the capital area, the more robust and bold our support will be." He noted that the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries completed last year was just the beginning. President Lee’s vision is to utilize the nation’s territory more broadly, with Seoul as the economic capital, the central region as the administrative capital, and the southern region as the maritime capital. He also said that the development of advanced industries, such as energy and artificial intelligence (AI), would be linked to regional development.

He continued, "We will transform from growth centered on a few large corporations to growth that distributes opportunities and rewards fairly to everyone." Regarding the tariff negotiations with the United States and achievements in defense and nuclear power exports, President Lee acknowledged, "It is an undeniable fact that the benefits have mainly gone to a few large corporations," adding, "The joint economic achievements realized through the capacities and efforts of the entire community must flow down to small and venture businesses and fill the pockets of the people."

He also pledged, "In line with the shift from an employment-centered society to a startup-centered society, we will provide generous support so that young entrepreneurs and founders can freely and boldly take on challenges and blaze new trails of innovation." He continued, "We will usher in an era where failure becomes an asset for future success, where anyone can rise again at any time, and where any idea can be turned into a startup, leading to a boom in startups and venture businesses and a golden age for small and medium-sized enterprises."

President Lee also included the eradication of industrial accidents, a goal he has consistently emphasized since the launch of the new administration. He stated, "Given the dishonorable record of having the highest rate of industrial accident fatalities among OECD countries, we cannot take pride in being the world’s tenth-largest economy." He questioned, "What is the point of a high economic growth rate in a country where families who send their loved ones off to work in the morning cannot see them return in the evening?" He asserted, "We must pay a much higher price and bear far greater consequences for disregarding life than we do now."

President Lee added, "We will shift from growth focused solely on products to attractive growth led by culture," and analyzed, "We are entering an era where exports of K-content surpass those of secondary batteries and electric vehicles. Investment in culture is no longer just a matter of social contribution; it is now an essential growth strategy." He explained that, on the basis of the dramatically increased cultural budget of 960 billion won, he would make K-content a core pillar of Korea’s great leap forward.

Finally, President Lee called for a transformation from "unstable growth" to "stable growth supported by peace." He said, "If we can turn the costs and risks of hostility into growth supported by peace, we can transform today’s 'Korea risk' into tomorrow’s 'Korea premium.' The government is consistently pursuing measures to ease military tensions and restore trust between the two Koreas, and is building consensus for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula with the United States, China, and the international community." He also made clear that the government would continue its efforts to support North Korea-U.S. dialogue as a "pacemaker" and to restore inter-Korean relations.

Lee: "No Time for Hesitation, Now Is the Time for Action"

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee emphasized, "The five principles of grand transformation are not romantic ideals or wishful thinking. I am making an urgent appeal that if we fail to achieve a grand transformation in our growth and development strategy, Korea will not be able to escape the mire of low growth." He continued, "There is no longer any choice. There is no time for hesitation. Now is the time for action and implementation."

He also stated, "As the turbulent history of Korea has proven, the source of national power has always been the people," adding, "The happier each of our 52 million citizens becomes, the more dreams, hopes, and challenges they pursue, the greater Korea’s national strength will be." He continued, "This year, the government of national sovereignty will respond more faithfully to the people’s urgent question, 'Will my life improve if the nation becomes stronger?' and promised, "We will become a government that inspires more hope for the next four years and five months than in the past seven months."

He especially pledged, "With the determination that even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, we will grow the achievements of small changes one by one like snowballs. We will not shy away from reforms whose results are not immediately visible. With patience and sincerity for the future, we will come together and pool our wisdom." President Lee added, "I am well aware that all these arduous and great tasks are only possible on the foundation of national unity and the firm trust of the people. As the president of all the people, I will approach state affairs with even greater humility."

He concluded his New Year's address by saying, "Just as we joined forces last year to set a new milestone for democracy, let us now work together to create a new standard of growth and progress for the world to follow."