Kim Sumin, Inauguration Planning Committee Chair, "Yoon's Inauguration Focuses More on Unity Than Festival Atmosphere"

Conveying Comfort and Recovery to Weary Citizens
Inviting Around 500 Citizens with Storytelling by Occupation and Generation

Former Assemblyman Kim Soo-min, who served as the Planning Committee Chair for the Presidential Inauguration Ceremony
[Photo by Yonhap News]

The concept of the 20th presidential inauguration ceremony, scheduled for May 10, is summarized as ‘harmony.’ Since President-elect Yoon won the presidential election by a narrow margin, the Inauguration Planning Committee intends to emphasize a humble presidential attitude.

Kim Soo-min, a former lawmaker appointed as the chairman of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol’s inauguration planning committee, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 24th, "We plan to organize the (presidential inauguration) with a more humble feeling rather than a joyful and happy tone." Chairman Kim was the youngest lawmaker to enter the 20th National Assembly as a proportional representative of the People’s Party at the age of 30. During his legislative activities, he attracted attention with his creative ideas, including the hanbok styling and leading the naming process of the People Power Party.

Considering the difficult situation due to COVID-19 over the past several years, Chairman Kim stated that the upcoming presidential inauguration will not emphasize joy alone. The ceremony will aim to convey a sense of consolation and hope for recovery to the exhausted people. Kim said, "We will focus on the point that we can recover and regenerate from the many hardships experienced due to COVID-19," and expressed his determination, saying, "We will strive to make the inauguration a place of communication and harmony for the Republic of Korea."

With Chairman Kim’s appointment, there is also an interpretation that President-elect Yoon’s inauguration will place emphasis on communicating with the younger generation. As President-elect Yoon’s close aides are mostly men from Seoul National University, the Presidential Transition Committee has been called ‘Seo-o-nam (Seoul National University men in their 50s),’ raising voices about the lack of diversity. In line with this purpose, the plan is to invite about 500 citizens with storytelling backgrounds from various regions, occupations, generations, youth, and women. The National Integration Invitation Committee has begun the selection process.

The inauguration ceremony will be held at the plaza of the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul. This is also to emphasize the image of ‘harmony.’ Seoul Plaza, the National Museum of Korea, and Yongsan Citizens’ Park were all considered from various angles, but the National Assembly, where President Moon Jae-in also held his inauguration, was selected as the final venue. The situation of a ruling party minority in the National Assembly was also taken into account. Currently, the Democratic Party holds 172 seats, and their cooperation is crucial for the new government’s legislative activities. Chairman Kim emphasized, "Holding the inauguration at the National Assembly means respecting the legislative branch under the separation of powers," and added, "Especially for the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, cooperation from the Democratic Party is important for improving and regenerating the lives of the people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.