'16th Anniversary of Kim Dae-jung's Passing' President Lee: "The Path Kim Dae-jung Walked Is Korea's Future"
President Lee Delivers Memorial Address on the 16th Anniversary of Kim Dae-jung's Passing
President Lee: "Trusting in 'conscientious citizens in action,' I will move forward unwaveringly"
Also Praises Kim Dae-jung as "A Great Democrat Who Believed in the Strength of the People, and a Pragmatist Who Turned Crisis into Opportunity"
On August 18, President Lee Jaemyung pledged, "The path Kim Dae-jung walked ahead of us is the future that Korea must pursue. I will continue forward without stopping, following the road that the President led and opened for us."
In a memorial address delivered at the 16th anniversary ceremony of former President Kim Dae-jung's passing, held at the Seoul National Cemetery that day, President Lee stated, "Trusting in the countless 'conscientious citizens in action' nurtured by Kim Dae-jung, I will unwaveringly move toward a nation where the people are the true owners, a nation where everyone prospers together, and a nation where peace flows like a river." The address was read on President Lee's behalf by Kang Hoonshik, Chief Presidential Secretary.
President Lee quoted the 'intellectual's sense of responsibility and the merchant's sense of reality' left behind by former President Kim, saying, "It has become our guide as we seek a new path to prosperity amid chaos." He continued, "After these long 16 years apart, we now all stand on the 'path of Kim Dae-jung without Kim Dae-jung.' The President's words, 'A conscience that does not act sides with evil,' have become a compass that safeguards democracy and have awakened us at every historical moment when the sovereignty of the people was shaken."
President Lee also mentioned that former President Kim laid the foundation for Korea to become an IT powerhouse and established the basis for a welfare state and a cultural nation, even during the unprecedented crisis of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout, when the future was impossible to predict. President Lee said, "Even when he fell into the valley of death, he never despaired. Despite countless hardships and failures, he always took the lead in designing the nation's future." He praised Kim Dae-jung as a great democrat who believed in the strength of the people more than anyone else, and as a pragmatist who prioritized the national interest and the people's livelihood, turning crises into opportunities.
President Lee added, "History belongs to those who remember, and hope belongs to those who put it into action," and concluded, "In this turbulent era of crisis, I will seek answers from the life of the giant, Kim Dae-jung."
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President Lee concluded the memorial address by saying to former President Kim, "Please remain with us always, as our guiding light. We miss you, Mr. President."
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