[비즈한국] Prime Minister Kim Min-seok attended the 4357th National Foundation Day commemorative ceremony at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 3rd. He stated, "The National Sovereignty Government will strive for national unity and the recovery of people's livelihoods, and will open a new era by cooperating with the international community based on deep trust."
Prime Minister Kim expressed his respect to the people for overcoming 'crises' such as martial law and impeachment last year, emphasizing, "The values of humanism, mutual growth, and peace demonstrated by our people are the very embodiment of the Hongik Ingan spirit (devotion to the welfare of humanity)." He continued, "The National Sovereignty Government has adopted the vision of a country where the people are the masters and a Republic of Korea where everyone is happy, based on the Hongik Ingan spirit," and pledged, "We will do our utmost to ensure that the will of the people becomes the indicator for state affairs, policies are implemented from the people's perspective, and maximum benefits return to the people."
Highlighting that the spirit, democracy, culture, and technology of the Republic of Korea are spreading and "shining" across the globe, Prime Minister Kim stated, "In an era where the entire world is experiencing great chaos such as the climate crisis, demographic crisis, geopolitical crises, and the AI transformation, the Hongik Ingan spirit is shining brighter than ever. It conveys the hope that we can overcome fierce challenges through the power of love for humanity, wisdom, and inclusion."
Prime Minister Kim promised, "The National Sovereignty Government will focus on national integration and the recovery of people's livelihoods, and will open a new era by cooperating with the international community based on firm trust." To this end, he presented keywords: listening and integration, fairness and trust, and pragmatism and results. He vowed to build a harmonious community through politics of listening and integration, ensure fair opportunities in all areas, and based on pragmatic diplomacy, safeguard national interests while paving the way for the common prosperity and peace of the Korean Peninsula and humanity.
The theme of this year's National Foundation Day ceremony was "Our Light, Further and Wider," and was attended by approximately 1,200 people, including key state officials, representatives of political parties and religious orders, and the foreign diplomatic corps in Korea. During the national ceremony, Choi Jae-young, a civil servant from Daegu Dong-gu Office who saved a local child who had lost consciousness at a swimming pool in Bali, Indonesia, recited the Pledge of Allegiance. The three cheers for the nation were led by nurse Kim Ji-hye, who saved the life of an epileptic patient by providing emergency aid on a flight from Japan to Incheon, and student Kim Eun-seong, who won a gold medal at last year's International Olympiad in Informatics.