Inaugural Address by the 19th President of the Republic of Korea

This is the inaugural address of the 19th President of the Republic of Korea.

 

Honorable and beloved people, thank you!
I bow my head and deeply thank you for your great choice.
Today, as the 19th President of the Republic of Korea, I take the first step toward a new Korea.
My shoulders are heavy with the immense responsibility that has been bestowed upon me by the people of Korea.
My heart is burning with the passion to build a country like no other.
And my head is filled with a blueprint for a new world of integration and coexistence.
The new Korea we are about to build is the one that our forefathers consistently pursued despite countless setbacks and defeats.
It is also the country that our young people want so badly to build, with great sacrifice and dedication.
To build such a country, I humbly and fearfully stand before history and the people of Korea to fulfill my responsibility and calling as the 19th President of the Republic of Korea.
I would like to express my gratitude and deepest sympathies to the candidates with whom I campaigned.
There are no winners or losers in this election.
We are partners who must lead a new Korea together.
We must now leave behind this moment of intense competition and move forward into the future hand in hand.
Honorable citizens!
The past few months have been a period of unprecedented political upheaval.
Politics has been chaotic, but the people have been great.
Even in the face of the impeachment and imprisonment of our current president, you have paved the way for our country.
Our people were not discouraged, but rather used the call as an opportunity to rise up, and finally opened a new world today.
The greatness of Korea is the greatness of its people.
And in this presidential election, our people have made history again.
You have chosen a new Korea with unanimous support from all corners of the country.
From today, I will be the president of all the people.
Even those who did not support me, I will serve you with all my heart.
I dare to promise.
May ○○, 2017 will go down in history as the day that true national unity began.
Honorable and beloved people!
During the hard years, the people asked, is this the country?
President ○○○ will start with that very question.
From today on, I will be the president who will make this country what it should be.
I will boldly break with the wrong practices of the old era.
I will start with the president.
First, I will clean up the authoritarian presidential culture.
As soon as I am ready, I will step out of the Blue House and open the Gwanghwamun presidential era.
I will have head-to-head discussions with my staff.
I will be a president who communicates frequently with the people.
I will brief the media on major issues myself.
On my way home from work, I will stop by the market and have a casual conversation with citizens I meet.
Sometimes, I will hold public debates in Gwanghwamun Square.
The president’s imperial power will be shared as much as possible.
We will make power institutions completely independent of politics.
We will create a system of checks and balances so that no institution can wield unchecked power.
I will work from a low position.
I will be a president who is at eye level with the people.
I will resolve the security crisis in a hurry.
I will work hard for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
If necessary, I will fly to ○○○ immediately.
I will go to ○○○ and ○○○, and if conditions are favorable, I will go to ○○○ as well.
I will do everything I can to bring peace to the Korean Peninsula.
I will further strengthen the U.S.-ROK alliance.
On the one hand, I will negotiate seriously with the United States and China to resolve the THAAD issue.
Strong security comes from a strong national defense.
We will work to strengthen our national defense.
We will also lay the foundation for resolving the North Korean nuclear issue.
We will establish a peace structure in Northeast Asia to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.
We will also change the politics of division and conflict.
The conflict between conservatives and liberals must end.
The president will step forward and talk directly to them.
The opposition is a partner in governing.
We will regularize dialogues and meet frequently.
I will appoint talented people from all over the country.
I will make merit and the right place the guiding principles for appointments.
I will recruit and hire talented people regardless of whether they support me or not.
The economy is difficult both inside and outside the country.
People’s lives are also difficult.
As I promised during the election, I will prioritize jobs first.
At the same time, I will take the lead in reforming the chaebol.
In the era of the ○○○ government, the word “cronyism” will completely disappear.
We will resolve conflicts between regions, classes, and generations, and find a way to solve the problem of irregular labor.
We will create a world without discrimination.
I say it again.
Under the ○○○ and ○○○ Party governments, opportunities will be equal.
The process will be fair.
The outcome will be just.

Honorable people!
This presidential election was held under the impeachment of the previous president.
The history of ‘unfortunate presidents’ continues.
This unfortunate history must end, starting with the ○○○ government.
I will be a new example of a Korean president.
I will do my best to become a successful president judged by the people and history.
With that, I will repay your support.
I will be a clean president.
I will be a president who comes into office empty-handed and leaves office empty-handed.
I will be a president who returns to his hometown and becomes an ordinary citizen, sharing his heart with his neighbors.
I will remain the pride of the Korean people.
I will be an honest president who keeps his promises.
I will carefully check the promises I made during the election process and keep them.
True political development will only be possible if the president leads by example.
I won’t shout about doing the impossible.
If I do something wrong, I will say that I did it wrong.
I will not cover up unfavorable public opinion with lies.
I will be a fair president.
I will create a world without privilege and favoritism.
I will create a world where common sense pays off.
I will not turn a blind eye to the pain of my neighbors.
I will make sure that no one is left behind.
I will be a president who wipes away the tears of the people.
I will be a president who communicates.
I will become a lowly person, a humble power, and create the most powerful country.
I will not be a president who rules and governs, but a president who talks and communicates.
I will be the ‘President of the Gwanghwamun Era’ and stay close to the people.
I will remain a warm president, a president like a friend.
Dear people who love and respect me!
On this day, ○○May ○○, 2017, the Republic of Korea begins again.
The history that makes a country a country begins.
Please join me on this path.
I will dedicate my life’s work.
Thank you.

President ○○○