President Lee: "Waves of Middle East War and Inflation Are High... Overcoming National Crisis with Admiral Yi's Spirit"

On April 28, President Lee Jaemyung stated, "The rapidly changing international order is creating unpredictable uncertainties, and the rise in energy prices and inflation caused by the war in the Middle East is having a significant impact on our economy and people's lives."

Yonhap News Agency

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President Lee made these remarks during his congratulatory address at the ceremony commemorating the 481st anniversary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin's birth, held at Hyeonchungsa in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do, on this day. He added, "The reality we face today is as turbulent and severe as the waves of that era." He further emphasized, "Just as Admiral Yi Sun-sin saved the nation from a national crisis, overcoming the current crisis together is our calling." This marks the first time a sitting president has attended the event since the late former President Kim Young-sam.

President Lee continued, "To withstand the fierce storms blowing from outside, we need strong internal unity that remains unshaken," and added, "No matter how great a crisis may be, if our people unite as one, we can overcome it together."

President Lee assessed Admiral Yi Sun-sin's leadership as characterized by "preparedness" and "devotion to the people." He said, "The Admiral always looked ahead to the future and prepared thoroughly. Even before the outbreak of the Imjin War, he constructed the turtle ship and conducted practical training to prepare rigorously for war."

He went on to say, "During the war, with meticulous strategy and outstanding command, Admiral Yi created a legendary record of victories rarely seen in the history of naval warfare. If it were not for Admiral Yi Sun-sin, if it were not for his keen insight and leadership, we might now be living in a bleak world."

President Lee also mentioned Admiral Yi's philosophy of "those who seek life shall die, those who seek death shall live." He explained, "This was because he was armed with a solemn sense of duty and devotion to the people, determined to protect the nation and its people even at the risk of death. That is why, despite a severe lack of resources, even in the depths of despair, he was able to unite soldiers and civilians as one and win battles against overwhelmingly powerful enemies, ultimately saving the nation from a critical crisis."

President Lee presented national unity as the driving force to overcome crises. He said, "The reason Admiral Yi Sun-sin was able to defeat a Japanese fleet more than ten times larger with only 13 ships was that everyone, from the admiral himself to the soldiers and the people, were united as one."

He continued, "The government, based on the spirit of popular sovereignty, will take Admiral Yi Sun-sin's spirit as our guiding light and draw strength from national unity to do our utmost to overcome national crises."

President Lee also presented a vision to use the current crisis as an opportunity for economic and social transformation. He said, "We will do everything we can to turn the current crisis into a new opportunity for progress. We will establish a mutually beneficial structure in which the fruits of growth are shared by all citizens, and build a fair society where privilege and injustice are not tolerated, thereby restoring social trust."

He added, "We will accelerate the energy transition and focus all our capabilities so that Korea can become a world leader in cutting-edge technologies such as AI. We will steadfastly move forward toward a stronger and fairer Korea-a nation where all citizens can be happy."

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