President Lee Jae-myung on the 14th said, "Saemaul Undong was started by President Park Chung-hee in the industrialization era to improve Korea's cultural, economic and social environment, and it is clearly a movement that achieved quite substantial results," adding, "It is also very useful in this era." Lee attended the "Saemaul Undong Central Association roundtable" held in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, that day and said, "As I travel on overseas trips, I often think it would be good if even underdeveloped countries had something like Saemaul Undong."
Lee also said, "Korea, as a global responsible nation, must shoulder certain responsibilities in the international community, and one of them is enabling people around the world to live happily in a slightly better environment," adding, "There are many issues to solve at home, but we should deal with those as they are, and it would be good if we provide support and volunteer in the international community to the extent we benefit from it."
According to Cheong Wa Dae, this is the first time a president from the progressive camp has designated a visit to the Saemaul Undong Central Association as an official schedule. Lee said, "It is important for an organization to do well in its original role," adding, "If it gets swayed by so-called politics or moves en masse for political reasons, it will not be respected." Lee continued, "If you confidently fulfill your role, earn good evaluations from the public and gain respect, politicians will follow," adding, "If, as some fear, you keep leaning to one side, you will be ignored. Please confidently work even harder and do better."
Lee said there is a need to significantly expand the Saemaul Undong Central Association's "international volunteer activities" and "support for agricultural activities," noting, "We carry out many foreign aid programs, but when we thought about ways to be of real help to that country and maximize efficiency, it occurred to me that 'it would be truly helpful to transfer Saemaul Undong.'"
He added, "It would be good if everything in the world were based on common sense and rationality. While your side versus my side, and ideology and values, matter, we should not do that in the public sphere," saying, "From the standpoint that all matters should be carried out fairly and transparently according to objective criteria, I visited the Saemaul Undong Central Association for the first time among private organizations."