President Lee Jae-myung said on the 23rd that he would not fear backlash from vested interests and would firmly push reforms that remove foul play and privilege.
In a memorial service on the afternoon of the same day in Bongha Village, Gimhae, South Gyeongsang Province, marking the 17th anniversary of the death of former President Roh Moo-hyun, President Lee said, "Now, beyond mourning, as the president of the Republic of Korea, I feel the heavy responsibility and weight and seek to carry on your will," making these remarks.
President Lee cited the Oct. 4 North-South Joint Declaration achieved during the late president'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 the problem of making a living, a Republic of Korea where people are respected as human beings—this was the Korea that former President Roh Moo-hyun 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 determination for balanced development. President Lee said, "We will build a balanced-development Republic of Korea where people across every corner of the country live well without any place being left out," and added, "We will ask first what is right and wrong rather than what is politically advantageous or disadvantageous. We will choose conscience over compromise and sincerity over calculation." He continued, "We are living in 'the era of Roh Moo-hyun' without you, yet filled with you," and said, "With the conviction that the only measure of a successful president is whether people's lives improve, I will pour in all my capabilities."