In the 21st presidential election, the people chose Lee Jae-myung as the president. This election was triggered by the martial law and impeachment that the former President initiated. Through this election, the people requested President Lee Jae-myung restore the damaged democracy and achieve major social reforms, including stabilizing the people’s livelihoods. The responsibility to weed out the rotten old practices of the past in every corner of society and to walk a new path for the Republic of Korea has been given to this president.
The most important thing this president must do is promote national unity. As the results of this election show, our community is divided as much as it can be by region, gender, and generation. The election landscape, which is divided exactly in half, symbolizes the deep division of our society. You can only see stories about choosing good policies or my representative in textbooks, but this time, blind voting continued regardless of who runs or what policies they talk about. In addition, conflicts between men and women, especially among those in their 20s and 30s, have further divided the Republic of Korea. This is a country with fierce competition even on a global scale, and now everyone but me has become an enemy.
Therefore, I hope that this president will become the center of unity. We should not become the president of one side, surrounded by strong supporters and close associates like the past administration. We should not control the media and only listen to what we want to hear and only say what we want to say. We should respect the National Assembly and listen to diverse opinions. At his inauguration, President Lee said that he would be a “president of all.” I pray that he will keep this promise.
During the election period, President Lee said, “The Democratic Party is a moderate conservative party.” He called his economic policies “good-lifeism” and “food-lifeism.” In his inauguration speech, he said, “I will become a pragmatic, market-oriented government.” He met with heads of large corporations, including Samsung Group Chairman, and showed a pro-business attitude. However, at the same time, I am concerned that President Lee does not care much about the weak in our community. Some people are also concerned that this is not much different from the “business-friendly” Lee Myung-bak administration. Socially vulnerable people, such as workers, ordinary citizens, immigrants, and the disabled, were also at the center of the impeachment. I hope he will reflect on the values of distribution and equality.
President Lee must also revive the spirit of peace on the Korean Peninsula. The frozen dialogue between the South and the North must be restarted. Humanitarian aid to North Korea from religious circles and civil society can be a good opportunity to open the door to dialogue. Just as the seeds of peace on the Korean Peninsula were sown through the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, North Korean youth can participate in the World Youth Day in Seoul in 2027 to start the dialogue with North Korea that has been cut off. The government must also make efforts so that Pope Leo XIV can continue Pope Francis’ dream of visiting Pyongyang.
The World Youth Day will be held in 2027 during this president’s term. Up to 1 million youths from around the world will gather in South Korea to create a space of hope and unity. During the event, Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Catholic Church, will also visit South Korea. The new government’s help and cooperation are most important for the event to proceed stably. People worldwide will look to South Korea, where the event is being held. An incident like the last Jamboree must never happen again. I hope the government will successfully lead an international event regardless of religion.
Above all, the president himself must be humble. This president has become an absolute power with legislative and executive powers, except for the judiciary. President Lee has said in many places that he will “run the government humbly.” That is how it should be. Humility is not difficult. The enemy that President Lee should fear most is not external but internal. I pray that God will grant him grace.
