Lee Jae-myung, the president, began the new year by stressing responsibility at a kickoff ceremony for Blue House staff, saying public officials work 24 hours a day.
At the Blue House kickoff ceremony, the video of which was released on the 5th, the president said, Work hours exist solely for the better lives of our 52 million people. The ceremony was held on the 2nd.
He said, The saying that when you open your eyes you are at work and when you sleep you are off work is not wrong. That is how important our very lives are for everyone, adding, Do not forget that one hour of a public official's time is worth 52 million hours.
The president likened the role of public officials to a small god and urged special attention to safety, saying, If you pay a little attention, move quickly, and show consideration, someone who would have died will live.
The president also emphasized that public officials must be clean. He said, It has been noisy lately, but authority accompanies public office, and, Money is the devil. If you do not put yourself back in order, you could fall victim to a devil with an angel's face. You really must be careful.
He warned, Among public officials, there are cases where people take the world too lightly. They think they know but the world will not, but the people's collective intelligence is truly formidable.
He also offered words of encouragement to Blue House staff. The president said, From the outside, people might think that being at the Blue House means putting on airs, but in reality that is not the case at all. If someone is like that, it is a problem, adding, Our members have gotten along well without major accidents or major problems. Our people will acknowledge this.
He added, A ship that almost wrecked has now turned toward the direction it should go and is beginning to set off little by little.
The president joked, This is a time of turning the abnormal into the normal, so it consumes a lot of energy. This situation will not continue until you retire.
He also said, Korea seems to be standing at a historic watershed, and, The most important task we must do is to constantly maintain a fair, transparent, and rational social order.