President Lee: "If We Are Divided Internally, We Cannot Protect National Interests Against External Pressures... Ruling and Opposition Parties Must Unite"

Senior Secretary Meeting Presided Over by President on January 15
"Government, National Assembly, and Both Ruling and Opposition Parties Are Jointly Responsible for State Affairs"

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Senior Secretary Meeting held at the Blue House on the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News

On January 15, President Lee Jae-myung pointed out, "If we become divided and antagonistic within, we will not be able to protect the national interest against external pressures, and even the hard-won achievements in diplomacy will clearly come to nothing." This is interpreted as a message to the political community, where not only is there confrontation between the ruling and opposition parties but also internal strife within parties, urging them to unite on matters related to the national interest.

Presiding over the Senior Secretary Meeting at the Blue House that day, President Lee stated, "The role of domestic politics is more important than ever right now." He emphasized, "The government, the National Assembly, and both the ruling and opposition parties are all jointly responsible for state affairs on behalf of the sovereign people," and appealed, "Please join forces on the path to prioritize responsible politics for the national interest, beyond small differences, for the lives of the people and the future of the country."

President Lee analyzed, "Since the beginning of the year, the global situation has been tumultuous, especially in Latin America and the Middle East," and added, "The greater the uncertainty in the international order, the more crucial peace and stability within the region become." He went on to say, "That is why wise and pragmatic diplomacy, which seeks points of balance even amid conflict and expands mutually beneficial common ground based on mutual respect and understanding, is more important than ever."

President Lee also remarked, "The success or failure of policies is determined not on the desks of public officials but in the lives of the people," and criticized, "Policies that look plausible in reports but fail to bring real improvements to daily life are nothing but empty, lifeless theorizing." He cited the 'Just Dream Project,' which provided assistance to people in need through private sector cooperation despite a lack of government funding in the previous administration, as a good example. He then instructed, "Each ministry should actively discover policies that have real impact and reward the relevant public officials."

Regarding the wildfire that occurred last week in Uiseong, North Gyeongsang Province, President Lee said, "Fortunately, we succeeded in early containment, but similar incidents can happen at any time and as often as possible," stressing, "Once a wildfire breaks out, all we can do is try to prevent the damage from spreading, so prevention is extremely important." He ordered, "Relevant ministries must remain especially vigilant and ensure thorough checks of wildfire prevention and response systems."

President Lee then added, "Please review the winter safety net for people's livelihoods once again," and urged, "Rather than waiting passively, active administration is urgently needed to proactively and actively seek out and support citizens in need."