President Lee Jae-myung on the 23rd said, "Without fearing backlash from vested interests, we will push forward firmly with reforms that remove foul play and privilege."
On the afternoon of the same day, at the memorial service in Bongha Village, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang, marking the 17th anniversary of the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun, the president said, "Now, beyond the feeling of mourning, as the president of the Republic of Korea, I feel the heavy responsibility and weight and seek to carry on your will," delivering these remarks.
The president referred to the Oct. 4 North-South Joint Declaration achieved during Roh's tenure and said he would continue on the path of peaceful coexistence and shared growth. He said, "I will carry on the will of the president who turned the line of division into a path of peace and achieved the Oct. 4 North-South Joint Declaration." He added, "A world where no one gives up on life over making a living, a Republic of Korea where people are respected as people—that is the image of the Republic of Korea that former President Roh sought to build throughout his life," and said, "The government of popular sovereignty will surely fulfill the president's unfinished dream."
He also expressed his commitment to balanced development. The president said, "We will build a Republic of Korea with balanced development, where people across every corner of the nation live well without any place being left behind," adding, "We will ask right and wrong before political gain or loss. We will choose conscience over compromise, sincerity over calculation." He continued, "We are living in the 'era of Roh Moo-hyun'—without you, yet filled with you," and said, "Keeping in mind that the only measure of a successful president is that people's lives improve, I will pour in all capabilities."