Yoon Invites Teachers on Teacher's Day: "Thanks to Your Love and Encouragement, I Have Come This Far"

President Yoon's Mentor and Current Teachers Luncheon Meeting
"We Must Know How to Appreciate Teachers"... Emphasizing Respect for Teachers and Teacher Authority
Explaining Government Policy Highlighting 'Diversity' to Current Teachers

President Yoon Suk-yeol, on the occasion of Teachers' Day on the 15th, invited his elementary and high school teachers to the Yongsan Presidential Office and expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thanks to the love and encouragement of my teachers, I was able to dedicate myself to public service and reach this position."

On the same day, President Yoon held a luncheon meeting at the Yongsan Presidential Office building with 22 active teachers, former Daekwang Elementary School principal Lee Seung-woo, former Daekwang Elementary vice principal Son Gwan-sik, former Chungam High School vice principal Choi Yoon-bok, and Jeong Seong-guk, president of the Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations.

The invited former principal Lee Seung-woo was President Yoon’s homeroom teacher for 5th and 6th grades at Daekwang Elementary School, and former vice principal Son Gwan-sik was the teacher in charge during President Yoon’s time as a Boy Scout member. Former vice principal Choi Yoon-bok was President Yoon’s homeroom teacher in his 3rd year at Chungam High School.

Among the invited active teachers were educators from various fields including Neulbom School, digital education, school violence, basic academic skills, special education, and early childhood education.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is bowing in greeting at the on-site teachers' luncheon meeting commemorating the 42nd Teachers' Day held on the 15th at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Before his opening remarks, President Yoon greeted the teachers by saying, "Thank you, teachers," and bowed his head to his mentors. He said, "Looking back, the love from my parents was truly great and deep, but from my first grade in elementary school when I was just a clueless child until I graduated, I received some kind of blind, infinite love and grace from my teachers, which helped me grow. I think this is why I have continued to serve in public office."

He also mentioned respect for teachers and the importance of teachers' authority. President Yoon emphasized, "At the national level, we consider how to establish education policies for our future generations and how to formulate and implement various education-related policies. But the most important thing is the love from teachers at the school, the actual education site, and students who receive that love must know how to be grateful to their teachers."

He continued, "If someone receives grace but does not know how to be thankful, how can that person work for society, lead a proper family, and dedicate themselves when sacrificing for the country? We must become a people who can be grateful when indebted or receiving grace from others. Also, in school and social life, our students should have an attitude of appreciating the love and grace they receive from teachers, friends, and those around them," he added.

President Yoon recalled memories with his teachers from elementary and high school, saying, "Many of my friends and peers have now retired from active social roles, but looking back, it was because we met such teachers that we were able to engage in social activities without major issues. And I think that is why we have been able to raise children and live our lives this way."

To the invited active teachers, he stated, "We are focusing on diversity as the most important principle of education." President Yoon explained, "With the rapid development of science and technology, knowledge acquisition is now related to big data and cloud computing. It is important to utilize these well to create economic and social value. We are paying great attention to educational diversity so that digital education can be strengthened and students can discover what suits their aptitudes and develop competitive social activities accordingly, in line with the changed industrial foundation."

He mentioned national support for women's social activities, caregiving and child education, and science and digital education, saying, "I hope that our teachers, who always deal with children and students in the education field, will empathize with these directions and provide good advice or professional opinions and suggestions, which will greatly help us in our work."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is assisting Choi Yoon-bok, his former principal and mentor from Chungam High School, to take a seat at the luncheon meeting inviting on-site teachers in celebration of the 42nd Teachers' Day held on the 15th at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

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