Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of Seoul Metropolitan Council, "I will put a brake on the declining birth rate in Seoul"

Chairman Kim Attends '2024 Seoul New Year's Meeting' on the 5th, Emphasizes Commitment to Solving Low Birthrate... Mentions 400-Year-Old 'I Gwal Rebellion,' Warns Greater Misfortune if Unprepared for Crisis... Chairman Kim Promises "To Work Properly and Honestly, Together with Citizens on the Ground"

Chairman Kim Hyun-ki of the Seoul Metropolitan Council stated at the Seoul New Year's Gathering held on the 5th, “The most serious warning sign in Seoul right now is the low birthrate,” adding, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council will devote all efforts to solving the most urgent issue of low birthrate and put the brakes on the declining fertility rate in Seoul, which has fallen to 0.5.”

The ‘2024 Seoul New Year's Gathering,’ co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and held for the first time in three years, was attended by about 800 people including Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Chey Tae-won, Seoul Superintendent of Education Cho Hee-yeon, and Abdullah Saif Al Nuaimi, Ambassador of the United Arab Emirates to Korea.

In his congratulatory speech, Chairman Kim referred to the ‘Yi Gwal Rebellion’ 400 years ago in relation to the low birthrate crisis, emphasizing, “The lesson of history is that if we fail to properly prepare for signs of crisis, it will lead to greater misfortune.”

He also said, “At that time, King Injo of Joseon won the war and regained power, but he completely failed to reflect the warning given by Yi Gwal’s rebellion in state affairs,” adding, “That tragedy led to the Jeongmyo and Byeongja invasions.”

He continued, “However, we are not living in 17th-century Joseon but in 21st-century Republic of Korea,” and expressed determination to respond differently from the painful history, saying, “Unlike the Joseon leaders who were unaware of the outside world, many people here including Chairman Chey Tae-won are well-versed in global affairs, and unlike the Joseon leaders who only talked, Mayor Oh Se-hoon and Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon are full of will to respond through action.”

Chairman Kim said, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council is the same,” emphasizing, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council, which has been dedicated to the restoration work of Seoul under the name of ‘normalizing the abnormal,’ will run toward the ‘stage of leap forward’ in 2024.”

He particularly noted, “It is an era where urban competitiveness leads national competitiveness,” and stated, “We are a people who shine even more in times of crisis, and now, when everyone says it is difficult, is the best time to overtake as a global leader.”

Chairman Kim introduced Seoul to the attendees as a city equipped with the capacity to be a leader. “Last year, Seoul ranked 10th among 130 major cities worldwide in financial competitiveness, being selected as a global TOP10 financial city,” he said, “Especially, it ranked first in the ‘future growth potential’ category, attracting great attention as a city with even more promise ahead.”

Finally, Chairman Kim promised, “Seoul will soar even higher this year,” and “The Seoul Metropolitan Council will always be on the ground, beside the citizens, working properly and straightforwardly together with the citizens.”

Full Text of the 2024 Seoul New Year's Gathering Congratulatory Speech

Dear citizens of Seoul, Mayor Oh Se-hoon,

Chairman Chey Tae-won of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and distinguished guests from home and abroad!

I extend my first greetings of the new year. I am Kim Hyun-ki, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council.

In the new year of 2024, the Year of Gapjin, I sincerely wish that all your goals will be abundantly achieved.

Let me share a historical story.

Exactly 400 years ago, in 1624, the capital Seoul, then called Hanyang, became a battlefield.

The rebel forces led by Yi Gwal occupied Hanyang, and King Injo fled Seoul.

At present-day Ansan in Seodaemun-gu, forces supporting King Injo fought against Yi Gwal’s troops.

King Injo and the Joseon government won the war and regained power, but

they completely failed to reflect the warning given by Yi Gwal’s rebellion in state affairs.

They ignored the fact that the defense of the capital Seoul was extremely weak against invading forces from the northwest of Joseon, that the national consensus was divided, and that the international situation during the Ming-Qing transition was precarious.

That tragedy led to the Jeongmyo invasion and eventually to the humiliating Byeongja invasion.

Today, various warning signs are lit in our Republic of Korea and Seoul. Among them, the most serious is the low birthrate. Foreign media even call it a modern-day Black Death and the greatest threat to the Korean military.

The lesson of history is that if we fail to properly prepare for signs of crisis, it will lead to greater misfortune.

However, we do not live in 17th-century Joseon but in 21st-century Republic of Korea.

Many here, including Chairman Chey, are well-versed in global affairs, unlike the Joseon leaders who were unaware of the outside world.

And Mayor Oh, Superintendent Cho, and all of you here are full of will to respond through action, unlike the Joseon leaders who only talked.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council is the same.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council and I will devote all efforts to solving the most urgent issue of low birthrate. We will put the brakes on the dreadful decline in Seoul’s fertility rate, which has fallen to 0.5.

We can do it. No, we must do it.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council, which has been dedicated to the restoration work of Seoul under the name of ‘normalizing the abnormal,’

will run toward a new stage in 2024.

That is the ‘stage of leap forward.’

It is an era where urban competitiveness leads national competitiveness.

We are a people who shine even more in times of crisis.

Now, when everyone says it is difficult, is the best time to overtake as a global leader.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council will be with you on the path to overtaking.

Seoul is a city equipped with the capacity to be a leader.

Last month, the UK Economist magazine ranked Korea 2nd in the OECD economic report card.

Seoul also ranked 10th among 130 major cities worldwide in financial competitiveness last year,

being selected as a global TOP10 financial city.

Especially, it ranked first in the ‘future growth potential’ category, attracting great attention as a city with even more promise ahead.

In the Year of the Blue Dragon, Seoul will soar even higher this year.

I expect all of you attending today

to join forces in Seoul’s soaring.

The Seoul Metropolitan Council will always be on the ground, beside the citizens, working properly and straightforwardly together with the citizens.

Happy New Year! Thank you.

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