Lee Myung Bak

Let's open the road to advancement together

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My fellow citizens!

7 million overseas Koreans, including former President Roh Moo-hyun, Kim Dae-jung, Kim Young-sam, former President Chun Doo-hwan, Uzbek President Islam Karimov, Mongolian President Enkhbayar Nambar, Cambodian Prime Minister Samdek Hunsen, Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, and Viktor Zubkov Distinguished guests from around the world, including Prime Minister of the Russian Federation and Vice President of Indonesia Muhammad Yusuf Kala,

thank you

Today, at the call of the people, I am inaugurated as the 17th President of the Republic of Korea.

I solemnly pay my respects to my infinitely proud country and infinitely great people, and firmly resolve to dedicate my life and soul to the historical and epochal mission given to me.

I promise to the people here. We will serve the people and make the country comfortable. We will develop the economy and unite society. We will develop culture and develop science and technology. We will strengthen security and lay the foundation for peaceful unification. We will fulfill our responsibilities to the international community and contribute to the common prosperity of mankind.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Korea. We reclaimed the land we had lost and established our nation, and we risked our lives to protect that nation. Everyone worked hard together.

Thus, the tasks of industrialization and democratization were accomplished simultaneously in the shortest period of time in world history. We built it only with our will and our own strength.

The world's poorest country has become the world's 10th largest economy. It has risen from a help-receiving country to a giving one. Now we can stand shoulder to shoulder with developed countries.

Others call this a 'miracle'. Also known as 'myth'.

But we know. It is not a miracle, but the crystallization of the blood, sweat and tears we all shed together.

It's not a myth, it's the true story of our lives.

It is a tearful great story of forefathers who sacrificed their lives for independence, service members who died on the frontlines, farmers who tilled the land in the scorching sun and rainstorm, workers who defended industrial sites day and night, and young people who dedicated their youth to bring about democratization.

Citizens who stood up to the foreign exchange crisis with gold pieces in their closets, volunteers who washed and polished oil on the beach in winter, and numerous office workers and public officials who silently performed their duties in various areas of society – all of them are the protagonists of Korea’s success story. they are

Now we can come up with these stories and tell them. It's a story that I say with a grateful heart, but I'm going to have a good time. This pride is the strength of Korea that opens up the future.

Now, with all of you, I want to open the way to the future with confidence. We want to move forward together toward the possibilities of the future while looking at the constraints of reality leisurely, free from the shackles of the past.

My fellow citizens!

As President of the Republic of Korea, I declare 2008, the first year of the new 60 years, as the first year of advancement in Korea.

We declare a solemn start toward a society that cherishes the fruits of industrialization and democratization, where each person does his or her part and cooperates for the public welfare, and a country overflowing with affluence, consideration, and dignity.

In the past 10 years, there were times when we were hesitant and frustrated, but now we will start over, taking the joy of achievement as well as the pain of failure as our assets.

We must move beyond the 'age of ideology' to the 'age of practicality'. Pragmatic spirit is a rational principle that penetrates the history of the East and the West, and practical wisdom that is effective in wading through the waves of globalization.

It is the spirit of the times that realizes a life in which humans and nature, material and spirit, and individuals and communities harmonize in a healthy and beautiful way.

There is no distinction between you and me in achieving the advancement of the Republic of Korea, and there is no discrimination between us and them. With a pragmatic spirit toward cooperation and harmony, we want to dissolve class conflicts and resolve hardline struggles.

A country where the government serves the people with intelligence; a country where the economy is running vigorously; labor and management are of one mind; and the minority and the weak are warmly considered.

This is the Republic of Korea that I envision as a country that nurtures talented people, sends them to the world, and invites talented people from around the world. This is the dream of becoming a first-class advanced country that the Lee Myung-bak administration wants to achieve.

Miracles will continue. Myths will live on. We will ignite the engine of development that surprised the world and make it run more vigorously. If I take the lead and the people come together as one, we can definitely achieve it.

My fellow citizens!

At this point, we have something to promise together. It is to coolly recognize the rapidly changing trends of the times and to renew our determination to change ourselves.

While we are unguarded, the world is outpacing us. Latecomers are also closely catching up. Our national competitiveness is declining and uncertainties in resources and financial markets are threatening our economy.

The domestic situation is not easy. The middle class has shrunk and life has become difficult. Relations between classes and groups are still mired in conflict and struggle.

Civil society has grown in quantity, but the claim to rights is outpacing the sense of responsibility. An aging society with a low birth rate is coming. The burden we are carrying as a divided country is also heavy.

At the crossroads that will determine the fate of the country for the next 60 years, I ask the people to take a more active role in change in order to smoothly overcome this historical hurdle.

If you neglect change, you fall behind. If you resist change, you will be swept away. We must ride the flow of change and create change.

Even if it is difficult and painful, we must change faster. If it is unreasonable or does not fit the times, we must boldly part with familiar things. Our direction is openness, autonomy and creativity.

My fellow citizens!

Revitalizing the economy is more urgent than ever. We need to secure new growth engines to grow more vigorously and create more jobs.

We want to transform the government into a capable organization. We will increase efficiency through 'small government, big market'. We will create a 'government that works well'. Going forward, the Government will take on the role of encouraging those who do well to do better and helping those in need.

We will hand over to the private sector what is not necessarily the responsibility of the government. We will also introduce competition in the public sector. Taxes must also be lowered. Only then can investment and consumption survive.

We will gradually reduce the number of civil servants and reform unnecessary regulations as soon as possible. The people will soon see the new government working efficiently.

Businesses are the source of national wealth and play a key role in job creation. Anyone should be able to easily start a business and build a factory.

We will improve the market and institutional environment so that entrepreneurs can step forward and invest and enjoy the world market.

Small and medium-sized enterprises pursuing technological innovation must be vigorous. We will help them grow into mid-sized companies and cooperate with and compete with large companies.

Entrepreneurs who manage transparently and fairly should be respected, and companies that invest and create jobs should be loved.

They are the two wheels that move the wagon called the company that lives with the oars. If one of them fails to do its job, the cart will fall over.

In developed countries, labor disputes have significantly decreased. This is because both labor and management shared the perception that “a radical struggle eventually leads to self-destruction.”

Autonomous improvement of labor-management culture is a prerequisite for advancement. Now, we must end the 'era of struggle' and open the 'era of companionship'. Businesses and labor unions must make concessions and take a step forward.

The more difficult times, the more companies need to be strong. Companies must first embrace workers through transparent and fair management.

In times like these, workers have to work even harder. Illegal struggles must be avoided and productivity must be increased. Only then will the labor-management relationship be healthy. The Government will also strive with principles and sincerity.

Market opening is an unavoidable big trend. As Korea, where the export industry accounts for a large share of the economy, it is necessary to increase national wealth through free trade agreements.

However, there are many concerns in sectors vulnerable to openness. Especially farmers and fishermen. You can't sit down here, can you?

All of our people are the sons and daughters of farmers and fishermen. Agriculture, rural areas, and farmers are concerned about the country. The government will work with us to come up with countermeasures.

Agriculture, forestry and fisheries should no longer remain as a primary industry. It is necessary to upgrade into a competitive secondary and tertiary industry by grafting cutting-edge production technology and combining it with distribution service management.

We also need to step out to develop overseas markets. If farmers and fishermen and the government join hands and pool their wisdom, it may turn into an opportunity for good fortune.

My fellow citizens!

Everyone should enjoy a life worthy of human beings, and we should all live together in a healthy and comfortable society. Those who are in dire need of help must be taken care of by the state.

Dispensational and ex post welfare are not the solution. We need to move forward with active and preventive welfare. Only then can we create a world where there are no losers. Benefits go to those who really need them.

Women are the proud protagonists of civil society and national development. Women's social participation makes society mature. We will strive to expand civil and social rights by promoting gender equality policies. We will increase opportunities and improve related systems so that more women can reach decision-making positions.

We want to build a customized childcare system to meet the needs of the life cycle and lifestyle. If the government eases the burden of child care, it will not only improve the low birthrate problem, but also improve the quality of life and human resources. We will not ignore the pain of the younger generation. We will help young people advance into society by creating more jobs at home and abroad. By stabilizing residential life, we will secure the foundation for social stability as well as personal life.

In the face of an aging society, welfare measures for the elderly are urgently needed. We will make the old-age pension a reality and improve public welfare.

We will increase medical benefits and facilities for the elderly, and strive to create jobs for the elderly who are willing to work.

We want to give people with disabilities more opportunities with warmer consideration. For those who can work, a job is the best welfare. Those who cannot do so will be taken care of by the state.

My fellow citizens!

Advancement is what people do. And it's for people. Korea's advancement depends on how many talented people it secures.

Youth are generators of dreams and vitality that will lead the future of Korea. We will actively develop the aptitude and potential of young people and strengthen their digital and global capabilities.

Education reform is more urgent than anything else. We need to get away from uniform government education and closed entrance education. We must accept the global standard and breathe the breath of autonomy, creativity and competition into the educational field.

We will focus on diversifying school types and enhancing the competitiveness of teachers. Only then will public education be normalized and the craze for private education will subside. Students' aptitude and creativity come to life.

Universities' autonomy is key not only to national competitiveness but also to the advancement of Korean society. We must compete fiercely with universities around the world by increasing our capacity in education and research. We must stand at the forefront of a knowledge-based society.

Education opportunities must be qualitatively expanded. You should be able to study even if your circumstances are difficult. We will break the legacy of poverty through education and welfare.

Science rationally changes and advances society. Some science and technology in Korea have reached world-class levels, but there is still a long way to go. Looking ahead to the next 20 and 30 years, we will develop our creative capabilities in science and technology.

We will nurture excellent scientists and create a social climate that respects and favors scientists.

Science and technology opens the door to the future. The state should support research and development of basic science, source technology and gigantic technology with a long-term plan. We will seek ways to further substantiate the R&D cooperation system between universities, businesses, and the government.

A home is not a property, but an infrastructure of living. We will actively implement housing welfare policies that raise the standard of living and stabilize housing prices.

We intend to reorganize the structure of the national territory in a future-oriented way. Ocean-oriented and wide-area is a global trend. We also need to come up with a plan to utilize the space needed for future lifestyles. In any case, we will maintain an eco-friendly and culture-friendly stance to enhance the health and dignity of the land.

Environmental preservation improves the quality of life, and the environmental industry creates new growth engines. Global environmental change threatens humanity. Meteorological disasters are becoming more frequent and the scale of damage is increasing. We must also actively participate in reducing carbon emissions.

Our economy will have a hard time adjusting to this right now. However, you have to endure the pain and adapt creatively.

Overall policies related to food, environment, water, resources, and energy must be changed to be environmentally friendly.

Korea is a cultural country with a long history. Hallyu, which has recently been attracting attention on the world stage, is in line with that tradition.

Economic prosperity will shine only when the modernization of traditional culture and the advancement of culture and art go hand in hand.

Now, culture is also an industry. We need to strengthen the competitiveness of the content industry to lay the foundation for a cultural powerhouse.

As the level of culture rises, the quality of life rises. We must enjoy culture, be harmonious with culture, and develop as culture.

The Government intends to do its best so that the potential of our culture can bloom in the open space of the 21st century.

My fellow citizens!

The Republic of Korea will carry out global diplomacy, sharing and exchanging with the international community with a broader perspective and a more proactive attitude.

We will become friends with all people in all countries of the world, regardless of race, religion, and rich or poor. We will participate in peace and development of the global village while respecting the common human values ​​of democracy and market economy.

We will develop and strengthen our traditional friendship with the United States into a future-oriented alliance. We will solidify our strategic alliance based on the historical trust built between the two countries.

Solidarity with Asian countries is also very important. In particular, we will seek peace and common prosperity in East Asia by strengthening cooperative relations with Japan, China, and Russia.

In order to stably run the engine of our economy, we will also strive to secure stable resources and energy. In addition, we will take the lead in international cooperation for peace and the environment.

In line with our economic scale and diplomatic capabilities, we will carry out contribution diplomacy that embodies universal human values. We will actively participate in UN peacekeeping operations and expand official development assistance.

We will focus on cultural diplomacy to facilitate better communication with the international community. If our traditional culture and cutting-edge technology are harmonized, we will be able to export the charm of Korea to the world.

The unification of the two Koreas is the wish of the 70 million people. Inter-Korean relations must develop more productively than ever before. We will solve it not by ideological standards, but by practical standards. Our goal is to ensure that South and North Koreans can live happily and lay the foundation for unification.

As stated in the 'Nuclear and Open 3000 Initiative', if North Korea gives up its nuclear weapons and takes the path of openness, a new horizon for inter-Korean cooperation will open.

We will work with the international community to help North Korean residents reach $3,000 in income within 10 years. I believe that this is the way to serve our fellow countrymen and advance reunification.

Political leaders of the two Koreas must share their thoughts on how to make the 70 million people live well and how to open the door to unification while respecting each other.

For this to happen, I think the leaders of the two Koreas should always meet and talk openly. That opportunity is open.

The foundation of politics is to make people feel comfortable and enjoy life. However, politics is not meeting the expectations of the people. An advanced, first-class nation cannot be created without political change.

We need to create and present the country's development direction and practical alternatives. We need to alleviate people's livelihood and give them hope. This is the basis of pragmatic politics.

The road seems long. But let's start with the possible. Let us boldly break away from wasteful political practices. Let's follow the will of the people and take care of productive work that alleviates the people's suffering.

We will open wide the door to dialogue beyond the women and the men. We will cooperate with the National Assembly and respect the will of the judiciary.

My fellow citizens!

A country boy who struggled to earn even a single meal has worked as a street vendor, a high school student, a day laborer, and a salaried worker before serving as the chairman of a conglomerate, a member of the National Assembly, and the mayor of Seoul. And he became the president of South Korea.

Like this, Korea is a country where you can dream. And it is a country that can make that dream come true.

I hope that all Koreans will have a dream. And I hope you will work hard to make it happen.

I want to make this precious land overflow with opportunity. A country with hope despite being poor A country where you can get up again even if you fall

We want to create a country where opportunities for success are guaranteed to all citizens who have worked hard.

We will expand the map of the Republic of Korea in the hearts of the people to the world. Cultures from around the world will flow in without hesitation and create new values ​​on this land.

By doing so, we will make the Republic of Korea an advanced, first-class country that exports new values ​​to the world.

It is the origin of our ancestors, the hope of our time, and our promise to future generations.

I, Lee Myung-bak, will take the lead.

It is difficult for the government alone. The people of the country must step forward together. Each must act on his own.

Parents need to nurture their children's bodies and minds to be stronger. Teachers must teach students harder. Entrepreneurs and workers must join hands and strive more progressively.

Young people should work harder for self-development. Soldiers and police officers must protect the country and society more diligently. Religious people, civic activists, and journalists must also shoulder a heavier responsibility.

Public officials must serve the people more sincerely. I will work hard starting with the president.

My fellow citizens!

The great march toward the advancement of our times, the Republic of Korea, has begun. Beyond the Miracle on the Han River, let us all move toward a new myth on the Korean Peninsula.

I, Lee Myung-bak, will take the lead.

If the people unite and fight for it, we can achieve it. Surely it will.

thank you

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February 25, 2008 Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea

Folks, thank you!

My fellow citizens!

Today, I stand here to express my gratitude to the people who have given me the opportunity to serve as president for the past five years and who have always been with me.

The Republic of Korea is a great country, a country where a boy who was born into a poor family in the coastal countryside, worked on the street as a child, and worked hard while attending school can become president.

Our people who built that country are also truly great people.

The past five years, when I was able to rejoice, suffer and work together with great people, were the most difficult times in my life, but at the same time, they were also the most rewarding and glorious times.

Five years ago, when I was inaugurated as president, I declared that I would dedicate my all to advancing the Republic of Korea.

From the moment I entered the Blue House to the moment I left, my vocation that I never forgot for a moment was to lay the foundation for becoming a first-class advanced country.

I didn't relax at all, I worked hard and did my best in my own way.

Of course, there are weak parts, and there are regrettable parts.

But what I can say for sure is that Korea is moving forward.

Advanced countries that seemed far away are now becoming our reality.

A 'Greater Republic of Korea' stands proudly in front of our eyes.

According to a recent survey by the National Statistical Office, 85% of Koreans say they are proud of the Republic of Korea.

No matter how hard these and other difficulties make our lives, our people themselves know best that the history of development and the history of miracles we have achieved continues uninterrupted.

This pride and self-confidence is also the driving force to realize the grand dream of the Republic of Korea that will unfold in the future.

Fellow Koreans whom we respect and love!

Over the past five years, we have been striving to lay the foundation for a 'greater Korea' by overcoming two unprecedented global economic crises.

But the road was full of difficulties.

Looking back, when the government was launched in 2008, no country or expert in the world could have predicted the global financial crisis .

As unexpected events hit the world, all countries were in great shock.

A foreign media even predicted that Korea would sink first.

I was worried that we might face even greater difficulties than when more than 2 million people lost their jobs and more than 20,000 companies went bankrupt due to the IMF foreign exchange crisis in 1997 , and the only thought was to get over this crisis.

Prioritizing everything, I put all my energy into getting out of the crisis.

After declaring an 'emergency economic government', we held emergency economic countermeasure meetings every week as many as 145 times, implementing policies more quickly, preemptively and boldly than any other country in the world.

Signing of currency swaps with the United States, Japan, and China was a decisive factor in overcoming the financial crisis.

Even before the crisis was over, we were faced with another fiscal crisis originating in Europe .

However, the financial soundness that has been maintained has been a great strength.

Unlike European countries with weak fiscal health that were in serious crisis, we were able to overcome the crisis.

Labor, management, and government joined forces, and all the people worked together to overcome the crisis day and night.

Such efforts have borne fruit, and Korea has surpassed all expectations and overcame the crisis the fastest and most successfully in the world.

We were able to take another leap forward by turning a crisis into an opportunity.

It achieved 1 trillion dollars in trade and stood tall as the world's 7th largest trade powerhouse.

Through Korea-ASEAN, Korea-EU, and Korea-US FTAs, we have pioneered the third largest economic territory in the world.

Last year, Korea became the 7th country in the world with a per capita income of $20,000 and a population of over 50 million.

While the sovereign credit ratings of all major countries in the world are falling, Korea's sovereign credit rating has risen the highest among 34 OECD countries over the past five years.

My fellow citizens!

In the long history of the world, crises have become a great watershed that changes the position of strong and weak countries.

We intuited that this unprecedented economic crisis was also an opportunity to raise the status and national prestige of the Republic of Korea, and finally made it a reality.

The clear lesson the crisis has taught us is that we cannot defend or grow a country without global leadership.

Never before in our history has the destiny of the world and ours been so directly linked.

Never before have world interests and national interests been so deeply intertwined.

For this reason, the Lee Myung-bak administration has made global Korea a major national task.

It was also effective to present a vision for green growth.

Green growth is now a common term worldwide, and many countries are joining it.

Now, we need to take the lead in presenting a way for the world to prosper together, not just our country.

Korea successfully hosted the G20 Summit and Nuclear Security Summit, was elected as a member of the UN Security Council, and attracted the Green Climate Fund, which is expected to be a representative international organization in the future. It was possible because it continued.

Now, the Republic of Korea has become a country that all countries in the five oceans and six continents want to be friends with.

A country that has been chasing the world order to a country that is creating it, a country that has been receiving aid and giving aid, a country that has been busy living and taking the lead in taking responsibility for the international community. .

Respected and loved citizens!

Looking back, in the face of the global financial crisis, it was dark at first, as if suddenly entering a long tunnel.

However, I have fresh memories of gaining confidence as the people and the public put their heads together and pooled their wisdom to deal with the crisis.

There is nothing to fear if we gather strength and wisdom.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the businessmen, workers, public officials, and the people who have silently shed sweat while enduring all sorts of difficulties to overcome the economic crisis.

What I am especially grateful for and what I am grateful for is that people in difficult situations silently endured and helped me.

I still cannot forget the impression I received from Grandmother Park Bu-ja who comforted me at the Garak-dong dawn market by saying, "I am trying to live, but how hard is the president?"

No matter how difficult or difficult it is, I have met people like this who do not lose courage and live hard while caring for others in need.

They are the true face of our people.

In fact, I am well aware that it is the common people who have the hardest time not only during the economic crisis but also during the process of getting out of the crisis.

So, the government has put top priority on alleviating the difficulties of the common people, and has implemented various pro-people policies such as job sharing, support for blind spots in welfare, microfinance, reliable student loans, and traditional market gift certificates.

Although there have been many achievements, we are also well aware of the fact that the difficulties of the common people have not been resolved as expected.

It is true that the problem of polarization is a common problem for all countries in the world, and it is difficult to solve it in a short period of time.

The Lee Myung-bak administration also struggled a lot with this and tried to find a new vision and solution.

The common people-friendly, middle-of-the-road practical use, mutual growth, and symbiotic development are the visions presented from this awareness of the problem.

Ultimately, the path Korea should take is one in which nature and humans, nation and state, South and North Korea, entrepreneurs and workers, large corporations and small and medium-sized enterprises, the elderly and youth, men and women, the metropolitan area and provinces, and cities and rural areas coexist.

In the age of global unlimited competition, large corporations and SMEs must grow together.

The Lee Myung-bak administration did its best to strengthen SME policies and create an industrial ecosystem for win-win growth through shared growth.

It is also essential to expand the system and continue to increase investment in welfare, education and childcare, culture and science and technology.

Under the premise of achieving sustained growth and not losing the soundness of the national finances, it is natural and natural to place the focus of national affairs on improving the quality of life.

we know

The fact that in order to be freer and richer, we must share more of our responsibilities towards each other.

Therefore, we must create a world where each and every citizen of the Republic of Korea is proud to be born in the Republic of Korea, is happy to live in the Republic of Korea, and can live confidently as a citizen of the world as well as a citizen of the Republic of Korea.

Cooperation and participation that transcend ideologies, regions and generations will be needed on this major road.

My fellow citizens!

The road we have to go is a new road no one has taken.

In the past, there were countries that served as models for us, and we just had to imitate them.

But now the time has come for us to create a new model.

Pursuing the path of becoming the world's best free trade country based on FTAs ​​with two-thirds of the world's economic territories is a path that only Korea can attempt.

It is also the Republic of Korea's responsibility to present and lead the future vision for the world to go while further strengthening its role as a bridge between developed and emerging countries.

In order to respond to climate change, a human agenda, we have created the world's first Framework Act on Green Growth, not just words or slogans.

Furthermore, we must keep the promise we made to ourselves to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 30% below business-as-usual (BAU) levels by 2020.

The Four Major Rivers Restoration Project, which was implemented to prepare for water shortages and large-scale floods and droughts caused by climate change, must continue to live up to its purpose.

Although there is controversy in some parts of Korea, overseas expert groups are highly evaluating the Four Major Rivers Restoration Project.

The OECD selects it as a 'successful case of comprehensive water resource management', and the United Nations Environment Organization (UNEP) highly evaluates it as a 'green economy case through river restoration'.

A path has been opened to enter the water management business in Thailand.

Creating a history of creation and leading science and technology based on basic science and original technology in order to become a first-class advanced country is also the Korea route.

Despite the global economic crisis, we have invested a total of 68 trillion won in science and technology R&D over the past five years, more than the previous 10 years combined, and our investment-to-GDP ratio has become the second largest in the world.

We have to keep it alive.

In particular, in the International Science Business Belt, scientists from home and abroad will gather to foster the dream of basic science for mankind.

In addition to investing in science and technology, great efforts have been made in education to nurture creative talent.

I think this should continue in the future.

We opened the era of high school graduates by intensively supporting meister high schools and specialized high schools in order to avoid an academic background-oriented society and open a competency-oriented society.

I attended the graduation ceremony of Meister High School on February 7th and was very impressed by the confident faces of the graduates and the bright faces of the parents.

Seeing that the employment rate was close to 100% amidst the unemployment crisis caused by the global economic crisis, I saw the possibility of transforming into a competency-centered society.

It is significant that the rate of self-development of oil and gas, which was only 4.2% when the government was launched, has risen to 13.7%, and that the rate of self-development of six major strategic minerals has also increased from 18.5 to 29%.

This is also the Korea route that we must continue to live on.

Hallyu is spreading all over the world, and many young people are going out all over the world to volunteer in difficult neighboring countries and become friends of people around the world.

This too is the way we must go.

I sincerely hope that this unexplored Korea route will be pioneered more vigorously.

My fellow citizens!

The future of Korea ultimately depends on unification.

During the five years of the Lee Myung-bak administration, inter-Korean relations have undergone major changes from the outside.

I believe that the past five years have been a time to clearly confirm that principles and trust must be the basis for North Korea to truly become a member of the international community and to realize inter-Korean relations of coexistence and co-prosperity.

I did not use inter-Korean relations for domestic politics, and I refrained from unilateral support without substantive change.

It has been made clear that there will be a price to pay for provocations.

I am confident that a new turning point will be made in inter-Korean relations if we continue to pursue a principled North Korea policy based on perfect cooperation between Korea and the United States and cooperation with major countries, including China.

Last week, North Korea carried out its third nuclear test, ignoring repeated warnings and dissuades from the international community.

The North Korean regime congratulates itself on the success of the nuclear test, but it must realize that nuclear weapons and missiles will not protect North Korea and that it is gradually approaching a dead end by inviting isolation and sanctions from the international community.

The North Korean regime resists change, but North Koreans are changing rapidly, and no one will be able to stop them.

We are watching that change closely.

We firmly believe that the era of unification is not far off.

We must hurry up and prepare for unification.

Of course, it goes without saying that a solid security posture with no gaps must be the foundation.

My fellow citizens!

I would like to leave the evaluation of the merits and demerits of this government over the past five years to history.

However, what is clear is that the Republic of Korea has become a central country in the world, no longer a small country on the periphery, and will continue to move forward.

Now I'm back to being a normal citizen.

Even if my duties as president are over, my honorable duty for the happiness of the people will continue.

As a proud citizen of the Republic of Korea, if there is anything we can do to serve the Republic of Korea, the country we love and love, we will do our best.

Many people from all walks of life have sincerely helped with state affairs.

You worked hard for your country.

I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude to all of them.

In the process of running state affairs over the past five years, I believe that there must be some people who have different opinions and feel uncomfortable for one reason or another.

I would like to offer my condolences at this point in time when I am putting down the responsibility of state affairs regardless of right or wrong.

I longed for a government that was morally flawless, but once again I apologize for causing concern to the people over things around me.

There is also a pain that needs to be embraced deep in the heart.

These are the 46 soldiers of the Cheonan.

My throat choked and my heart ached as I called each and every name as I sent them away.

One day, on the very day of unification, I would like to call out their names one by one.

Together with the entire people, I send warm blessings to President-elect Park Geun-hye and the new government.

I believe that the new government will pave the way for a 'bigger Republic of Korea' and a 'happy people'.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the State Council members, secretaries, and public officials who devotedly assisted me.

I am grateful to my beloved wife and family who have always been a strong fence in difficult times, as well as to my friends from all over the world.

I have always lived with the determination to start anew in life.

Now, as I lay down the burdensome historical responsibility, I am once again excited by the anticipation of a new life.

When the flower season comes after retirement, I would like to ride a bicycle along the four major rivers and take a look around our rivers and mountains.

As I have done so far, I will do my best as a proud citizen of the Republic of Korea.

To the people who have always given me opportunities and courage, be happy and healthy all the time.

Thank you.

And I love you.

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February 19, 2013 Lee Myung-bak, President of the Republic of Korea

• 38 Dynasty Middle Evangelism (李 居明)
• 37 Dynasty Lee Geum -hyun (李 金 金)
• 36 Dynasty Lee Geumseo (李 金書)
• 35 Dynasty Lee Yun -hong (李 潤 弘)
• 34 Lee Seung -hoon (李 承 訓)
• 33 Dynasty Lee Joo -bok (李 復 復)
• 32 Dynasty
• 31 Contrast Ichi Ryun (李 侈 侈)
• 30 -year -old Lee General Island
• 29 Dynasty Lee Chun -jung (李春 貞)
• 28 Dynasty Lee Hyun -bok (李 玄 玄)
• 27 Controversial Lee Sun -yong (李 宣 用)
• 26 Dynasty Lee Seung -go (李 升 高)
• 25 controlled gains dog (李 堅)
• 24​
• 23 Citizens (李 世 基)
• 22 Daejong Icheon (李 蒨) -Pajo of Kukdang Gongpa (堂)
• 21 Daejung Lee Kyung -joong -Pajo of Munjeonggong (文 貞 派)
• 20thies Lee Yuk (李 毓)
• 19 Lee Jung -dog (李 廷 堅)
• 18​
• 17 Controversial Lee Jong -yoon (李 從 允)
• 16 Lee Gye -se
• 15 Dynasty transfer (李 迪)
• 14 Reason
• 13th Great Grandfather Lee Gun-yeong[49]
• 12th Great Grandfather Lee Seong-rip (李成立, 1552 ~ unknown)
• 11th great dynasty[50] Lee Jun (李濬, 1568 – 1635, aged 67)
• 10th great-grandfather Lee Yu-il (李惟一, 1592 ~ 1633, aged 41)
• Bi-grandfather (9th great-grandfather) Lee Doo-cheom (1622 ~ 1701, aged 69)
• First Father (8th Great-Grandfather) Lee Se-paeng (1648 ~ 1733, aged 85)
• King Taejobu (7th great-grandfather) Lee Si-tae (李始泰, 1696 ~ unknown)
• My grandfather (6th great-grandfather) Lee Yong-pil (李龍弼, 1720 ~ unknown)
• Great-great-grandfather (5th great-great-grandfather)[51] Lee Dal-jun (李達俊, 1777 – 1851, aged 74)
• Great-great-grandfather Lee Im (1795-1837, aged 42)
• Great-grandfather Lee Su-bal[52] (李秀發, 1822 – May 4, 1911, died at age 89)
• Grandfather Lee Jong-han (Lee Jong-han, November 1857 – November 16, 1940, aged 83)
• His father Lee Choong -woo (李 忠 忠, November 14, 1907 -September 21, 1982, 74 years old)