Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung emphasized that national unity is an urgent task essential for the country's progress, stating that confrontation and division offer no solutions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, President Lee, speaking at a New Year's gathering attended by key politicians, lawmakers, executives, and significant figures from labor and cultural sectors, cautioned against societal stagnation due to division. "If people turn their backs on one another simply because they think differently, or differences lead to extreme confrontation, a society can never move forward," he asserted.
President Lee underscored national unity as the most crucial and urgent task, reflecting on the previous year's recovery and normalization period. He expressed hope for a "new leap forward" through collaborative efforts between the government, businesses, and the public. Lee emphasized the importance of seeking coexistence and unity, focusing on shared prosperity rather than merely the speed of growth.
In a symbolic gesture, Lee wore a tie featuring red and blue, representing the ruling and opposition parties, and called for a paradigm shift in the country's growth strategy. He advocated moving away from a Seoul-centric, conglomerate-focused model to a more inclusive, nationwide approach that addresses capital concentration and opportunity distribution imbalances.
Lee pledged to support venture firms and small and medium-sized enterprises, encouraging young entrepreneurs and startup founders to pursue bold innovations. He highlighted the need to break the cycle of competition and conflict hindering growth.
The event saw attendance from five key figures across the three government branches: Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik, Supreme Court Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, Constitutional Court Chief Kim Sang-hwan, and National Election Commission Chair Roh Tae-ak. Leaders from the ruling Democratic Party, Cabinet ministers, and representatives from major business groups, labor organizations, and cultural circles also participated in the meeting.