President Yoon Suk-yeol, on the 22nd, emphasized the necessity of addressing polarization, which he set as the guiding principle for the latter half of his term, stating, “If even a portion of the citizens give up hope for the future and remain inactive, the country cannot advance.”
President Yoon attended the 56th Korea National Prayer Breakfast held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, and said, “In the first half of my term, I focused on revitalizing the economy through a privately-driven market-oriented approach. In the latter half, we must ensure that all citizens participate in national development by tackling polarization.”
Furthermore, President Yoon stated, “We will surely revive the vitality of the livelihood and the economy to usher in a new era for the middle class.”
Regarding the government’s initiatives on the four major structural reforms in healthcare, pensions, education, and labor, President Yoon said, “These are intended to provide hope and courage so that no citizen is left behind or gives up, enabling everyone to partake in national development.” He emphasized that “the four major structural reforms are overdue. For the development and sustainability of our society, we must fulfill these tasks swiftly without delay.”
He also outlined specific reform goals, stating, “We will complete the core tasks of healthcare reform by the end of the year and establish a regionally comprehensive healthcare system within my term. Education reform will see the integration of reserved and regular schools, nurturing creative future talents. Labor reform will accelerate to expand the choices for enterprises and workers while strongly protecting vulnerable workers. Pension reform, directly linked to the livelihood of current and future generations, will be diligently overseen to ensure proper implementation.”
President Yoon also mentioned his participation in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit and the G20 summit from November 14 to 22nd. He noted, “When meeting with leaders for bilateral summits or individual talks, it was evident that, without exception, both developed and developing countries were deeply concerned about their challenging economic situations.”
He added, “Even though the theme of ‘inclusive growth’ continued to surface in official discussions among global leaders, they were more worried about the severe political and economic impacts caused by imminent global security crises. Our every choice and response are situated in a serious strategic environment that affects national interests and the safety of our citizens.”
President Yoon concluded by saying, “As always, we will prioritize national interests and focus all our efforts on overcoming the current global compound crisis. I request all of you to join us in prayer and continuously gather strength and support.”