Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho said to the ministers on the 28th, "Please do your best to fulfill the duties entrusted to you until the end to achieve a successful conclusion."
During the opening remarks at the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office that day, the Deputy Prime Minister said, "Today's Cabinet meeting is the last one held by this government."
He noted, "I feel very sorry to the people that the state tasks we prepared looking forward to five years could not be completed and were wrapped up in just three years."
He added, "The government has worked hard on the four major reforms in pensions, healthcare, education, and labor, not shying away from thorny paths for the sustainability of the Republic of Korea," and said, "We achieved the reform of the National Pension system after 18 years, and strengthened the state's responsibility for education and childcare through the introduction of the Nulbom School and the integration of care, creating momentum for a reversal in the birthrate after nine years."
The Deputy Prime Minister also said, "Aiming to be a global pivotal state, we have expanded our diplomatic horizons to South America, ASEAN, and Africa," and noted, "We elevated the Korea-U.S. alliance to a global comprehensive strategic alliance."
He continued, "Nevertheless, the people will likely evaluate it as very insufficient," and emphasized, "We must humbly accept criticism and reproach regarding the unsatisfactory aspects."
The Deputy Prime Minister expressed, "Above all, I feel very heavy-hearted that we failed to visibly improve the lives of struggling people, including small business owners and self-employed individuals," and said, "There are many regrets about not being able to provide more faithful explanations of the initiatives we focused on and the direction we wanted to head, and for not listening closely enough to the public sentiment."
He concluded by saying, "The new government will be inaugurated in a week," and expressed, "I hope that you will inherit and advance the achievements from the perspective of the people and national interests, and use the mistakes as lessons to lead the Republic of Korea toward greater prosperity."