This article is a collection of greetings to be used at the inauguration of high-ranking ministers and deputy ministers of state. It is organized around the greetings required for the inauguration of high-ranking government officials. Each greeting is formal and classy, and can be used in any formal setting.

Inaugural remarks for the Minister of the Interior and Safety

Dear DHS family, it’s a great pleasure to be here. I’ve had the opportunity to be associated with DHS on many occasions, and it’s especially gratifying to stand here today as Secretary. I owe my position to all of you, and I would like to thank former Minister ○○○, who has accomplished so much with his brilliant mind and straightforward convictions.
As I have gotten to know the work of the ministry as a cabinet appointee, I have come to realize how diverse and important the work of the ministry is. It is a great responsibility to take on this role at such a critical time for our nation, but I am confident in your expertise and passion.
Dear DHS Family, This is an emergency economic situation. While efforts to overcome the economic crisis are being carried out by the entire government, it is true that in the eyes of the public, government employees are less tense. We should all sympathize with the President, who has set up an emergency economic situation room in the underground bunker of the Blue House and is checking every moment, and throw ourselves into the situation.
We must run again with the deep realization that we cannot gather national energy and overcome the economic crisis without total changes and sacrifices in the public service. We need a more crisis-oriented government operation and fiscal management, and the government must lead by example in creating and sharing jobs. This is the call of the times. With a shared sense of urgency, we need to vigorously implement what has already been decided, and take on the challenges ahead.
First, we must accelerate government reform. A government that truly “serves” the people is a government where officials, even if they have some difficulties, are not complaining, but rather, they are actively solving problems and relieving people’s pain. Since the reorganization in February last year, we have been working to reform the government, but many tasks have yet to be completed. We need to speed up the implementation of priority projects such as the reorganization of special local administrative agencies, the corporatization of government agencies, and the implementation of major national projects. It is also very important to streamline regulations within the administration. Internal regulations that create unnecessary work and bad practices among government agencies must be scrutinized and eliminated so that the government can focus on what it does best. If government reform is delayed, it will not only fail to inspire voluntary change in the private sector, but also fail to capitalize on the opportunities that will follow the crisis.
Second, we need to establish a new paradigm for local development and realize resident-centered livelihood autonomy. I am very proud of the work of the Ministry of Public Administration and Security in initiating and developing local autonomy, but there is still much to be done before we can say that local autonomy, which leads to social maturity, has been established. Financial conditions have not improved, and the wasteful behavior of some local governments has been criticized.
It’s time for a structural upgrade of local governance. We must boldly improve systems that do not fit our reality, and actively work to expand local finances and reform the tax system. In particular, we must work with local governments to ensure that residents enjoy the benefits and fun of local autonomy in their daily lives. The reform of the local administration system, which is of great interest to the public, should be fully supported by discussions at the National Assembly level so that it can be promoted smoothly.
Third, we need to stabilize people’s lives and restore trust in the government. People should not suffer from unexpected disasters or become victims of crime in this difficult economic environment. Together with the National Police Agency and the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, we must thoroughly inspect and prepare for risks and hazards in advance. We must also pay special attention to cybersecurity, protect our national infrastructure, and promote emergency preparedness. If the people feel safe, secure, and stable through these efforts, they will have high trust in the government.
Fourth, we need to improve the quality of administrative services and people’s well-being through informatization. Based on the achievements of e-government, we need to quickly transition to a ubiquitous government, which will allow us to handle citizens’ complaints in real time and provide them with personalized services that fit their individual circumstances. We also need to actively promote policies to spread e-government globally.
Finally, we must take the lead in spreading low-carbon green growth policies. Low-carbon green growth can only succeed when the government’s creative policies are combined with the participation of the entire population. We must continue to identify agendas such as green administration, green office, and green informatization, trigger organized social networks, and encourage local governments to actively implement creative green growth measures. By doing so, our ministry will play a leading role in helping the entire country transition to a green society.
There is an end to suffering, and the current crisis can be brought to an end with the right policies and nerves of steel. Let’s take time out of our busy schedules to grow our professionalism and prepare ourselves to overcome crises, so that we can affirm that our public servants are the last bastion of the nation. Once again, it is a pleasure to be with you as part of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Thank you.

Inaugural Remarks by the Assistant Secretary for Women and Family Affairs

My name is ○○○, and I have been appointed as Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Affairs. First of all, I would like to express my sincere pleasure to work with you as a member of the ‘Ministry of Women’s Affairs’ family.
I am deeply honored to be here, especially at a time when the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Affairs is newly established as the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and I feel a great sense of responsibility.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for your efforts to advance women’s human rights and realize a gender-equal society, and for laying the foundation for women’s policies under difficult conditions.
I have always thought that Korea’s development to the threshold of the developed world was largely driven by the noble sacrifices of our mothers, women workers in the economic field who toiled under harsh conditions, and women who excelled in various fields of expertise. However, I believe that our reality leaves much to be desired, considering that Korean women have the highest potential in the world. In addition, many women are still in the blind spot of human rights and our children and youth are growing up in fear of sexual violence.
Historically, the development of developed countries in the West has been proportional to the progress of women’s human rights.
I believe that how quickly and to what level Korea will enter the developed countries depends on how much our female workforce is active in each field of society and when women’s human rights are guaranteed to the highest level in the world.
I have spent most of my public career in the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and I look forward to learning from your expertise and experience, and working with you to ensure that the pro-citizen, field-oriented, productive and practical policies you are promoting are realized based on my own administrative experience.
In particular, I will do my best to ensure that policies such as creating jobs for women, spreading a culture of work-life harmony, and creating a safe social environment for children and women are promoted and further developed, so that the Ministry of Women’s Affairs can be trusted and loved by the people.
In a few days, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs will be reorganized as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
As the existing women’s affairs and family and youth affairs will be integrated into the new ministry, it will be necessary for all employees to quickly develop a chemistry with the new families so that they can do their best to meet the expectations of the people.
Our women’s department is not a large organization compared to the size of the administrative clientele.
However, the size of the organization is not a problem. Our proud country is moving forward to become a country that is envied and respected by the world despite having a small open economy. In order for our Ministry of Women’s Affairs to be trusted and loved by the people, each and every one of our employees will have to show the utmost expertise in their respective fields and a strong will to pursue policies and reach out to the people.
As Vice Minister, I believe that my task is to work with the Minister and the staff to do my best to ensure that the policies of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs are merged with family and youth affairs to achieve greater results, and to create conditions for the staff to fully utilize their talents.
In addition, we will strive to win the support and love of the people by promoting our policies with care, warmth, and effectiveness so that many people can feel the effects of our policies in their daily lives.
The G20 Summit will be held in November this year.
It is also a year when we need to raise our national quality on the occasion of the G20 Summit. I believe that the most important task of raising our national quality is to become a society where women are more active in various fields, where women, children, and youth are free from the fear of sexual violence, and where happiness at home is the highest value in life.
And I think that if the whole nation strives to become such a society, Korea will become a country that is respected and envied by people around the world.
I call on you, the staff of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, to play a central role in pursuing these tasks, and I assure you that I will lead the way with the Minister.
Again, I want to thank the Secretary for the opportunity to work with you, and I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the hard work of our staff in keeping the Department of Women’s Affairs moving forward in the face of rapidly changing conditions.
for your hard work and dedication in keeping the Ministry of Women’s Affairs moving forward.

Inaugural remarks by the Minister for Women

Good evening, everyone. I have been waiting for quite some time to speak to you all face-to-face, and I would like to start by thanking the staff of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs for all their hard work on behalf of the unknown ministerial candidate. As the 16th minister in charge of women’s policy, I realize that I have a great responsibility to take the achievements of women’s policy accumulated over the past 20 years to the next level. I will endeavor to expand the outreach of women’s policy so that it can truly contribute to improving the quality of life for both women and people in Korea.
As I take office as Minister of Women’s Affairs, we are fortunate that our government is almost out of the tunnel of the difficult economic crisis, and our government is entering a new era of national management. Based on these unfolding conditions, I will be responsible for implementing the President’s national philosophy in women’s policies. As Minister of Women’s Affairs, I will endeavor to further develop and improve the women’s policies that have been implemented in the past. In addition, I would like to share a few things that I would like to focus on and accomplish during my tenure as Minister of Women’s Affairs.
First, I will build on the many achievements of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs to establish a gender-equitable culture and system, further promote women’s empowerment and support for economic activities, continue to expand policies to prevent and protect women and children from violence, and carefully listen to the needs of policy targets so that more people can feel that the policies promoted by the Ministry of Women’s Affairs affect and help them in their daily lives.
According to a recent poll I saw, women in their 30s have the lowest approval ratings for government policies, and the reason for this is that women in this age group experience the most inconveniences in their daily lives, both domestic and economic, while raising children. We will expand the number of women’s policies that are close to the lives of these policy targets who need more attention or urgently need new policy support.
Until now, the Ministry of Women’s Affairs’ policies have focused on women who are victims of various kinds of violence and women who want to work. In addition, we will strengthen policies for working women. In particular, we will segment the policy targets into professional women, low-wage women, and women who are raising children and working alone, and promote policies that meet their living realities.
Second, we will develop and promote practical policies to harmonize and balance work and family so that anyone who wants to can have both. Work-family policies can only be effective if the perceptions of all members of society are changed, family relationships are redefined, and social systems that support them are changed across the board. In particular, if the social environment continues to be such that highly qualified human resources are forced to choose between work and family due to childbirth and childcare issues, it will be an obstacle to solving the declining birthrate, which is one of the most important national issues, and will also be an obstacle to realizing a truly gender-equal society. I will actively work on policies to create a social environment where anyone who wants to can harmoniously combine work and family, whether male or female.
Third, we will continue to strengthen the initiatives we have been promoting to promote women’s human rights and interests. Crimes of sexual violence against children, such as the cases of Hye Jin and Hye Seul Yang last year and the recent case of Na Young-i, have continued to increase and become a social problem. We will strengthen support for women victims of violence and marginalized women, including sexual and domestic violence and sex trafficking, and actively promote various initiatives to prevent violence in advance.
There are so many things that we would like to do together with you, and we are standing here with such daunting expectations, that it seems even more daunting to talk about them all here today. What I will say, and what I will pledge to myself, is that we will work together to expand the scope of the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and create a strong Ministry of Women’s Affairs that gives people hope. As I take office, I believe that only the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, which encompasses women’s policies and family policies, can handle and accomplish the things I mentioned earlier.
I will work with all my heart and soul to make tangible progress toward this end. Dear Women’s Ministry family, I have seen the passion, expertise, and organization of the staff during the preparation for this hearing, and I have faith that any difficulties we face in the future can be easily resolved with you. I will do my utmost to develop the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, and I ask you to join me in creating a reborn Ministry of Women’s Affairs that is loved and trusted by the people. Thank you.

Inaugural speech by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food

Honorable farmers, fishermen and citizens of the country!
And members of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food family!
I am honored to be sworn in as Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food today, but I also feel a great sense of responsibility.
First of all, I would like to thank Minister Jang Tae-pyeong for his hard work and achievements, as he took office at a difficult time for the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and for his efforts over the past two years to lay the foundation for the agriculture, forestry and food industry and prepare for the future.
Since my nomination as Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs on August 8, I have met with many of you during my confirmation hearings and preparations for my appointment. Each and every one of them has told me that the most important thing is to have a love for agriculture, fisheries, and rural America and to do the job with passion, which, based on my personal experience in various fields over the past 30 years, is a plain but true statement.
Since joining the public service in 1980, I have gained administrative experience in a variety of fields, including frontline positions, central ministries, and heads of governmental and civic organizations.
During my tenure as mayor of a municipality, I strived to maximize administrative efficiency and bring about fresh and positive changes from the perspective of residents, who are the beneficiaries of policies.
In 1995, he was the first local government in the country to establish and enforce November 11 as Gimpo County’s Farmers’ Day, the first local government head to appear in a TV rice commercial, and paid much attention to the agriculture and fisheries sector by promoting direct trade through sisterhoods with large companies.
Since 2004, I have also served as a member of the National Assembly, where I have been able to listen to the voices of local farmers, fishermen, and organizations in the field and understand the challenges facing our agriculture and rural areas.
Going forward, I will put my experience, competence, and passion into developing Korea’s agriculture, fisheries, rural areas, and food industry.
Dear farmers, fishermen and people of the country!
Our agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industry is facing a difficult situation due to the small business scale and the continuous expansion of market openings such as FTA/DDA. The competitiveness of our agriculture, fisheries and food industry and the incomes of farmers are stagnating, and the sense of relative deprivation and marginalization due to the rapid development of other industries is growing.
In addition, rural areas are losing their vitality due to population decline and aging. This decline in the vitality of rural areas is leading to difficulties in securing successors to farmers and fishermen, which is hindering the development of our farming, fishing, rural areas and food industry.
However, I believe that there are new opportunities for our agriculture, fisheries and food industry and rural areas as well as these challenges.
The demand for domestic agricultural products is growing rapidly due to the improvement of national income and living standards and the increasing interest of consumers in the safety of agricultural products, and the public’s interest and awareness of the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industry as a new growth engine and rural areas as a comfortable living space are also increasing.
In addition, the increase in global food demand due to the rapid growth of emerging economies such as China and the expansion of the Northeast Asian market are providing new opportunities for Korea’s agriculture, forestry and fisheries food industry.
I believe that if we fully utilize these opportunities, our agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industry can become an industry with hope, and our rural areas will become a good place to live.
Farmers, fishermen, and people!
With the goal of “stable and prosperous rural areas” and “healthy and happy people,” I will focus on the following five policy directions to promote the agriculture, fisheries, and food industry and rural areas that bring farmers and fishermen together.
First, revitalizing the rural economy by increasing the income of farmers and fishermen and stabilizing their livelihoods will be the top priority of the policy. For the rice issue, which is the most worrisome, we will take strong measures to eliminate excess stocks and stabilize rice prices during the harvest season.
In addition, we will redefine mid- to long-term supply and demand stabilization measures, such as expanding the cultivation of crops other than rice in paddy fields and revitalizing the rice processing industry, to be more effective. On the issue of rice tariffs, we will fully collect farmers’ opinions in line with the development direction of the rice industry and decide whether to proceed with the proposal.
We will systematize the various direct payment systems into public benefit and income stabilization types, while preparing complementary measures for small and medium-sized farmers and elderly farmers, expanding agricultural and fishery disaster insurance and business recovery support, and spreading management innovation movements such as cost reduction to increase farmers’ incomes and stabilize management.
We will discover and industrialize rural specialty products and tangible and intangible local resources, and promote rural tourism to create new jobs and income sources in rural areas.
Through this, we will create and disseminate many successful examples of creative efforts in rural areas, making rural areas a land of hope and opportunity where farmers and fishermen feel confident and where people come to visit.
Second, we will take measures to strengthen the fundamental competitiveness of our agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food industry so that we can utilize the expanding market opening as an opportunity rather than a crisis.
To this end, we will lay the foundation for the development of the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food industry by thoroughly identifying and improving regulations that can hinder competitiveness in the areas of farmland, human resource development, agricultural product processing and distribution, and food.
We will strengthen the foundation for strengthening the competitiveness of the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food industry by expanding support for R&D and improving the system. In addition, we will expand new growth engines for the agriculture, forestry, and food industry by strengthening research on bio-industries using life resources such as animals, plants, and microorganisms, and promoting the commercialization and industrialization of developed technologies.
We will continue to promote the organization and scale-up of agricultural and fisheries production areas and eliminate unreasonable factors in the agricultural and fisheries distribution process to create a new agricultural and fisheries distribution structure that benefits both producers and consumers.
We will make the food industry a key demand destination for Korean agricultural and fishery products by expanding the industrial base, including the creation of a national food cluster and training of specialized human resources. In addition, we will develop the agricultural and fishery industries into high-value-added export industries to drive the development of the agricultural and fishery industries and develop them into new growth engines that support national employment and economic development.
In response to the expansion of openness through DDAs and FTAs, we will take thorough proactive measures to protect our agriculture and fisheries industry, while establishing an analytical and systematic export strategy for each major country to expand agri-food exports. In particular, we will create a high-tech agri-food export complex and establish overseas export advancement bases targeting Northeast Asian markets such as China and Japan.
We will foster our green forests as a valuable resource to respond to climate change and serve as the mainstay of green growth, and share our experience and technology in forest conservation and cultivation with the world.
Third, we will establish a safe and secure agricultural supply system that people can trust.
We will strengthen the precautionary management system for hazards from farms and fisheries to the table, strengthen livestock disease prevention, and thoroughly quarantine and inspect imported agricultural and marine products to ensure the safety of agricultural products.
In addition, we will advance various certification and labeling systems such as GAP certification and country of origin labeling to fully guarantee consumers’ rights to know and choose when purchasing food, and greatly expand the production base of eco-friendly organic agriculture.
Fourth, we will make self-management the basic philosophy of our fisheries policy to enhance the autonomy and self-reliance of fishermen and revitalize the eco-friendly offshore food and tidal trawling industry, so that the fisheries industry can reemerge as a high value-added, high-tech industry.
In addition, we will establish a specialized fishery resource management agency to secure stable fishery resources, establish a system to improve the fishery structure on an ongoing basis, and actively develop overseas fishery resources.
Fifth, we will continue to improve the basic living environment, education, and welfare conditions in rural areas, expand the social safety net, and actively consider the socially vulnerable, including women farmers and multicultural families.
We will introduce and apply an integrated regional development model that comprehensively improves basic living infrastructure such as roads, water and sewerage, and living conditions such as education, welfare, and culture in rural areas to ensure that rural areas have the minimum living infrastructure.
In line with the increasing role of women in rural areas, we will strengthen policies to foster women farmers and fishermen, and strive to help rural immigrant women and multicultural families settle down as part of rural communities.
Farmers, fishermen, and the people of the country!
The trust of the people is the basic asset of agriculture, forestry and food administration. The agriculture, forestry, fisheries and food organizations will unite to give hope to farmers and fishermen, and communicate with the field based on “caring” and “warmth” to gain the trust and support of the people.
As we communicate with the field, we will review the areas that have caused distrust in the past and boldly improve and supplement where necessary.
Throughout the entire process of policy formulation and implementation, we will consider obstacles from the perspective of farmers and the public, and explore alternatives and solve problems with the broad participation of farmers, experts, and consumers.
We will also work closely with local governments to ensure that agriculture, fisheries, and food policies are implemented efficiently, and provide administrative and financial support to ensure that regional characteristics are fully reflected.
Dear Family of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Food Officials!
The development of the agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and food industry and rural areas is a goal that all of us in the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, and Food must achieve.
I believe that today’s meeting should be a time for me and my family to pledge to fulfill this goal and dream.
The strength, unity, and morale of an organization determines all outcomes. We need to make sure that you and I trust, love and respect each other and that we work as one organization with only the farmers and the people at heart.
I will stand with you through any pain and trials that may come our way, as well as any rewards and glory that may come our way.
I believe that there is nothing we can’t do and nothing we can’t accomplish if we put our minds to it, if we believe in it, and if we truly work towards our goals.
So today is a day of excitement, but it’s also a day of hope, a day of new beginnings.
Once again, I am delighted to be with you, and I look forward to, and resolve in my heart that through our efforts, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries will become “a proud Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries that gives hope to farmers and fishermen and is loved by the people.”
Thank you.

Inaugural Address by the Director General

Dear colleagues in the Legal Affairs Division！ Good morning.
My name is ○○○, and I am the 29th Minister of Justice.
It is my great pleasure and immense honor to be inaugurated as the 29th Chief Prosecutor of the Republic of Korea and to meet with you today. I am also deeply honored to succeed my esteemed predecessor, Mr. Lee Seok-yeon, and to take on the enormous responsibility of providing legal support for the government’s national tasks in the second half of the ○○○ administration.
I have met many of you in the prosecutor’s office, the 17th Presidential Transition Committee, and the National Competitiveness Council, where I was in charge of planning and enacting policies and overhauling the legal system, and you are among the most professional people in Korea’s legal system. I am confident that my shoulders will be lighter if you do your best to fulfill your respective duties.
Dear Legal Affairs staff!
On that note, I’d like to make a few requests.
First of all, I would like to emphasize the humanity of the organization internally. It is easy to fall into individualism or egoism when you are a professional in any field. Especially when you fall into the formal logic dogma of law, you may become obsessed with the details or formal logic and lose sight of the big picture.
This can spill over into our relationships, leaving room for a lack of consideration for others and a focus on maximizing our own rights, which means we can become indifferent to the work of our colleagues and subordinates outside of our own. Of course, the days of unconditional selflessness are long gone.
However, it’s important to refrain from excessive individualism or egotism that undermines teamwork. When an organization is stabilized by teamwork and becomes a strong organization externally, the status and evaluation of individuals within it will naturally follow suit.
Next, from an external perspective, the Legal Affairs Office plays a role of supporting and coordinating government legislation of each ministry, so it is necessary to have a service spirit that thinks more from the ministry’s point of view, “How can we effectively put the policies that the ministry wants to pursue into the law?” from a lower position.
It is necessary to consider alternative ways to realize the right policy, rather than simply reducing the ministry’s request to formal logic. Of course, the actual rule of law and due process must not be compromised, but as a public service for the people, the review of laws and regulations for enactment and revision, maintenance of laws and regulations, interpretation of laws and regulations, and provision of information on laws and regulations must all be “people-centered.” In the process of reviewing laws and regulations, unreasonable content that excessively restricts people’s rights and imposes obligations must be corrected.
Unreasonable regulations that cause inconvenience to the public and businesses should be continuously overhauled, and laws and regulations that consider the common people and the socially disadvantaged should be continuously reviewed. All laws and regulations should be easily understood by the public, making the legal system easy to understand and follow.
Dear Legal Affairs Staff!
I believe that in order for the Legal Affairs Office to become an institution that is more trusted and loved by the nation and the people, we need to strengthen the organization’s capacity to lead each ministry based on its expertise and experience in legal affairs.
Therefore, looking ahead at least 10 years, we will prepare a master plan to further strengthen the organization’s expertise and capabilities through various domestic and overseas training programs, such as overseas job training and training at specialized institutions in Korea, and activation of the COP within the Legal Affairs Division, so that the function and status of the Legal Affairs Division can be redefined, and we will also overhaul the budget and organization necessary for this.
In addition, with the introduction of the law school system, which selects and trains lawyers with expertise and diverse experience in each field, we will work with academia, lawyers’ organizations, and other related organizations to come up with reasonable measures to train more professionals in the legal system.
Dear Legal Affairs Agency Staff!
Since the establishment of the government, the Legal Affairs Division has been in charge of overseeing and coordinating legislation as an independent central administrative agency, and has made great contributions to the establishment of the rule of law and the development of legal culture in Korea through its outstanding leadership, from the esteemed Yoo Yoo-oh, the first Legal Affairs Division Chief, to his predecessor, Lee Seok-yeon.
I will do my best not to add to this history and tradition, and if you have any fresh ideas for improving our work, please feel free to share them with me. My office is open for anyone to come in and share their ideas at any time, and I will prioritize communication between the top and bottom and between internal organizations.
Dear Legal staff!
With the inauguration of the new government, the Legal Affairs Division suffered from the separation of administrative appeals, a shrinking organization, and a downgrading of its status from ministerial to vice ministerial level. However, I believe that the actual role and status of the Legal Affairs Division has been strengthened. I think all of this was made possible by the leadership of my predecessor, Lee Seok-yeon, and the passion of all of you. Therefore, we will continue to develop the projects of opening and closing inconvenient laws and regulations, making laws easy to understand, and providing easy-to-find information on living laws and regulations so that the Legal Affairs Division can become an indispensable and important national institution.
We need your strength and wisdom. I will share all the happiness and hardships with you, and I ask for your cooperation.
I sincerely wish you and your families good health and happiness. Thank you.

Prime Minister’s Inaugural Address

Ladies and gentlemen, public servants from across the country, and members of the State Council and public officials who are here today, I stand here today with my collar open, soberly reflecting on yesterday’s state of affairs, and with the determination to take a step back from the precipice. Today, the global economy is at a historic turning point. It is an unsettling situation where no one is sure of tomorrow. In the midst of the rapidly shifting global tides, the swirling Northeast Asian jet stream, my country, Korea, stands. The economic order centered on developed countries is being rapidly reshaped by the rise of emerging economies. The tangible result is the launch of the G20, a significant event that signals a shift in global economic power from the advanced economies represented by the G7 and G8 to emerging economies.
Whether in the past or present, great shifts in economic power are both a crisis and a boon. Even when the world economic order shifted from a British-centered to a U.S.-centered one, those who showed leadership and adapted to the times prospered, while those who were left behind suffered. What is of particular interest to us is the growing influence of Asia on the global economic landscape. Not to mention China, which is demanding inclusion of the yuan as a reserve currency and using its vast dollar reserves to buy up resources and technology on the global market, and Japan, which has overturned a political system that has dominated it for more than 50 years, is smiling at Asia with a new face of friendship. The rise of Asia is both an opportunity and a challenge for us as a peninsular nation, and now is a golden opportunity for us to make our voices heard in the reshaping of the international economic order, and to demonstrate our national leadership to become an advanced economy. Our history a century ago is a stern warning to us that if we do not lead the change of the times from the front, we will be swept away by the waves of change.
Honorable citizens and dear public officials, in addition to the current issue of setting our coordinates and strategies amidst tectonic shifts in international affairs, our society is faced with a heavy burden of problems ranging from the cost of private education, youth unemployment, and common people’s lives to aging and declining birthrates. The North-South divide, ideological conflicts, regional conflicts, regional and industrial imbalances, and conflicts between class, labor, and management are all intertwined, hindering the country’s ability to advance to the next level. If conflicts and confrontations continue as they are now, not only will it be difficult to build an advanced, first-class nation, but it will also be difficult to continue smooth economic growth. That’s why Korea needs to reconcile conflicts and implement integration as soon as possible in order to rise to the world and into the future.
We need to seek harmony and balance through a Copernican shift in perception between left and right, east and west, rich and poor. We need to recognize differences and step aside from each other. We need to harmonize with reconciliation and tolerance, and balance with consideration and concessions. We need to harmonize and balance by promoting competition in the socially advantaged sectors and expanding opportunities for the less privileged and underprivileged. We need to take the lead in transforming the negative perceptions that remain in each sector of society into positive forces. We need to eliminate privilege and establish justice, which will increase productivity. The gap between the strong and the weak will narrow. Only when our society is in creative harmony and forward-looking balance can we achieve a shared and prosperous community, where potential growth is realized and everyone gets their fair share.
Honorable People, as you are well aware, President ○○○ is a model of success in our time, having overcome adversity to become what he is today. I, too, grew up in a family where it was difficult to bring even a lunchbox as a child. Our country, the Republic of Korea, has always been a “land of opportunity” where even the most disadvantaged can fulfill their dreams. The success myth must continue to be written. Korea must continue to expand into a ‘promised land, a land of hope’ where all those who work hard can fulfill their dreams. To do so, we must move away from a ‘closed society’ and transform it into a pluralistic society where diverse values coexist. We must create a harmonious society where entrepreneurs contribute to national development with capital and innovation, workers with sweat and passion, engineers with skills and experience, and government officials with policies, and where each feels rewarded in their respective fields. Only with a strong sense of community can we achieve sustainable balanced growth. The sooner we achieve balanced growth, the sooner we will be able to address challenges such as job creation and the declining birthrate.
People are our future. If the economy is the locomotive that moves us today, education is the gravy train to a brighter future. We need to change the paradigm of education from imitation to creation and foster crisis adaptability to build the talent of the future. Private education will also be reduced if we emphasize faith, trust, sincerity, and honesty, and respect emotion and creativity. These are daunting tasks, but they are not impossible to solve if the people of Korea gather their wisdom and public officials lend their support. Korea is a remarkable country that has achieved economic development in just half a century, a feat that took European powers 150 years to catch up with Britain, which succeeded in the Industrial Revolution. Korea has the world’s 10th largest economy, but among countries with a population of 50 million, there are only six countries in the world – the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy – that are ahead of us in terms of per capita national income. The historic achievement of Korea winning the right to host the G20 Summit this year is no accident. Yes, it is. The power to overcome the national challenges before us lies within us. I believe the future is ours if we can bridge the divide and promote creative harmony and forward-looking balance.
Honorable members of the State Council, senior government officials, and fellow public servants from across the country, if the “IMF Fargo” that hit Korea in 1997 was a costly lesson that awakened us to the harsh realities of capitalism, then the U.S.-initiated financial crisis that has been sweeping the world until now is a tutor that has taught us the highs and lows of advanced financial capitalism. This is why I dared to accept the call of the president as a calling of the times, having studied economics and specialized in monetary finance. I made a promise to myself then. That I would do my utmost to encourage and support all branches of the government to instill dreams in the people and the middle class, to realize the national vision and embody the zeitgeist, to enhance competitiveness and serve the people like the heavens. We must shift from being a policy maker to a taker; we must put people first and put them at the center of all policy decisions, so that we can enter the developed world where human values come before everything else. If public officials do their best, we can create a just society where honest people are rewarded and treated according to their hard work. A bright society where those who want to study can go to school with confidence and those who are sick can receive care without worry. A brighter society where credit and integrity are rewarded over background and education.
The success of our policies depends less on grand rhetoric and more on meticulous work. We need a preventive administration that stops things before they happen, an on-the-ground administration that is closer to the real lives of the common people than the heads of desks, a skin administration that takes care of the little things first, and an internal administration that emphasizes a meticulous finish rather than a flashy start. I am ready to go to the field with public officials to develop policies on the side of the people. In this process, I will say what I need to say to the president, if necessary, and I will demand what I need to demand from the people. I will not give in to the loud voices, but listen to the small voices loudly. I will support the lowly, and gather the scattered hearts of the people. Dear public servants, I will go first, and if there is a rough road ahead, I will go ahead. But there is nothing that I can do alone, and I implore public servants across the country to show imagination and creativity in their respective positions, and to actively help in the national interest. To the people of the United States, I wish you a happy holiday season. I would also like to wish all public officials and their families good health and good fortune. I would like to conclude my inaugural address with my mother’s last words, “When you get into the kiln, think of the potter’s shoulder first.” Thank you, everyone.

Inaugural remarks by the Deputy Minister of Health, Education and Family Affairs

Dear colleagues of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs! I am personally honored to be entrusted with this important task at this difficult time, but I also feel a great sense of responsibility and mission. Earlier this year, with the inauguration of the new government, our ministry underwent great changes. You all worked very hard to set new coordinates for the new government’s active welfare through the preparation of the transition committee and work reports, reorganization and relocation of the building, and the promotion of important national issues. I am deeply grateful to all of you who worked late into the night without taking any holidays in this process. I would also like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to my predecessor, Vice Minister ○○○, who took over at a difficult time, quickly stabilized the organization, and executed important national tasks.
Dear employees of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs! It has been almost 30 years since I started my public service at the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. During this time, Korea has made great progress in each field, but the health and family policy has developed more remarkably than any other field. The health of our people has improved to the level of developed countries, and we have a social security system that is the envy of any country in the world. You are the ones who have made this progress.
The difference between the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs 30 years ago and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs today is incomparable. In this regard, I would like to express my deepest respect to the ministers, vice ministers, seniors, and all of our employees who have passed through the ministry over the years. However, we cannot be satisfied and complacent with our achievements. In the current global financial crisis, Korea’s economy is facing great difficulties both inside and outside the country, and the lives of the people have become even more difficult. At this time, the role of the ministry, which has the responsibility to support and comfort the struggling lives of low-income earners and the common people, is greater and more important than ever.
We must focus our efforts on helping people who are in immediate need of assistance from the state or society to maintain their basic needs, such as livelihood and medical care. We must also take the lead in providing a helping hand to those who are disabled, elderly, or have difficulty living on their own. We must reorganize the welfare delivery system to provide welfare services more efficiently and make welfare administration more tangible to the people. We must further strengthen the social insurance system to ensure a stable life for the general public. Health insurance must achieve the dual goals of financial stability and enhanced security, and national pensions must exercise wisdom in balancing stability and profitability.
There have been an unusually high number of food safety incidents this year, and the public’s expectations for food safety are very high. We need to work on food safety so that people can trust us with peace of mind. I will do my best to work together with you and assist the Minister in vigorously promoting national issues to alleviate people’s difficulties and advance our policies. I will do my best to ensure that major laws such as the Food Hygiene Act, the Medical Care Act, and the National Pension Act, which were planned to be enacted and amended to improve the convenience and health protection of the people, will be enacted without any delays. I will also make every effort to ensure that next year’s budget is sufficient to provide good health and family services to the people. Your sweat and hard work will be required once again to fulfill these tasks.
To all the employees of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, let’s work together and have fun. As you know, there have been two recent success stories that showcase the strength of our Department. The basic old-age pension system was established through dedicated work despite many concerns and obstacles, and the long-term care insurance system for the elderly was successfully introduced and implemented. Let’s believe in ourselves and work with pride. I will strive to build an organization of friendship and trust where we can share warmth with each other and rejoice together, even in the midst of difficulties. I am confident that the future of our department will be bright and that we will be able to develop more vigorously.
To all of you, my colleagues and friends who have been with me all my life, I will work with you, listen to your opinions, talk with you with an open heart, think with you, sweat with you, and walk with you. Thank you.