(Unofficial translation) Distinguished guests from home and abroad, Today marks the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. I extend my deepest respect to all noble endeavors to protect and promote human rights. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights began by reflecting on the Second World W...

Dec 10, 2018

(Unofficial translation) Fellow Koreans, distinguished members of international trading community, I wholeheartedly congratulate you on the 55th Trade Day. Seventy years ago, the first ROK-flagged cargo ship the Aengdohwan set sail for Hong Kong laden with exports of squid and agar. After that, we opened a path toward...

Dec 07, 2018

(Unofficial translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Across the world, abnormal weather conditions and natural disasters have become a part of everyday life. The underside of global economic growth is marked by the dark shadows of global warming and environmental degradation, which loom large as a catastrophic menace to h...

Dec 01, 2018

(Unofficial translation)Good morning ladies and gentlemen, I am glad to see you all. The G20 Summit was launched in the wake of the global financial crisis a decade ago. At the inaugural summit, the participating leaders agreed on five principles to reform financial markets and also established the principles of multi...

Nov 30, 2018

(Unofficial translation) Thank you, Mr. Chairman.“People come first” is my political slogan and longstanding philosophy. I am very pleased to see the G20 Summit adopting “Putting People First” as a core message. The Republic of Korea achieved rapid growth that surprised the world, but it now shares the same concerns as...

Nov 30, 2018

(Unofficial translation) Today is the day we have been very much looking forward to. I am very pleased that the Economic, Social and Labor Council has finally been launched. There have been many discussions and difficulties leading up to its inauguration. I am deeply grateful to Chairman Moon Sung-hyun for his persist...

Nov 22, 2018

(Unofficial translation) I just returned from a trip to attend annual ASEAN-related summits and the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting. I could truly sense the tremendous changes from a year earlier. Every single head of state and government spoke highly about the positive changes to the situation on the Korean Peninsula,...

Nov 20, 2018

(Unofficial translation)November 18, 2018Distinguished members of the Cooperation Committees of Korea and Japan, ladies and gentlemen,I offer my congratulations on the 54th Joint General Meeting of the Korea-Japan and Japan-Korea Cooperation Committees. I warmly welcome the members of the Japanese delegation who, out o...

Nov 19, 2018

(Unofficial translation) Distinguished Chairperson, heads of state and government, I am glad to see you all. For the first time in history, the leaders of APEC member economies are gathered in this beautiful Pacific island country of Papua New Guinea. Each and every member economy has demonstrated the strength of...

Nov 18, 2018

(Unofficial translation/ Check against delivery)I am grateful to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of Singapore for the wonderful preparation of this summit. My appreciation also goes to His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei, the country coordinator for ASEAN-Korea dialogue relations.Competition among the maj...

Nov 14, 2018