President Lee Jae-myung invited about 200 children to Cheong Wa Dae on Monday to mark Children's Day, holding an impromptu children's cabinet meeting at the main building and signing autographs at experience booths set up in Nokjiwon Garden.
President Lee and first lady Kim Hye-kyung welcomed about 200 people at the Cheong Wa Dae main building, including children from regions facing population extinction, children from multicultural families, and children and guardians living near Cheong Wa Dae. President Lee wore a dark navy suit with a light pink tie, while first lady Kim wore a bright pink dress with white shoes. Cheong Wa Dae said the color pink, symbolizing "love and care," was used to express parents' wishes that children always be the protagonists and receive abundant love.
The presidential couple exchanged high-fives with the children, who greeted them with "Wow" and "Hello" and even hugged the president. During the cabinet meeting room experience, Cheong Wa Dae Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong said, "Auntie is here," and explained the venue as "Sejong Hall, where cabinet meetings are held."
When President Lee said, "From now on, we will begin the 558th cabinet meeting with our children," the children applauded, and the president continued the meeting in a serious manner, saying, "Children's Day only comes once a year, so let's hear your opinions on how many times we should increase it."
During the meeting, President Lee drew loud laughter by telling a child seated in the defense minister's seat, "Jong-min, you've made a lot of money." To the question "When do you hold cabinet meetings?" President Lee answered, "Every Tuesday," and to the question "When will reunification happen?" he said, "Depending on what you all do, the timing could be delayed or accelerated."
According to Deputy Spokesperson Ahn's written briefing, when a child asked, "How did you become president?" President Lee explained, "Who is the owner of the country? It is the people," adding, "The president is a position that the people entrust to someone they choose to work hard for the country." He added, "If you diligently prepare and make efforts for the people and gain recognition, you can become president."
After moving to Chungmu Hall, President Lee introduced it as "a place where various tasks are carried out at Cheong Wa Dae, among which is a space for collective discussions or meetings." In the process, President Lee said, "Let me tell you something important," and drew laughter by saying, "The president is 'uncle,' the chief of staff is 'uncle,' and the social affairs secretary is 'grandpa,'" referring to Social Affairs Secretary Moon Jin-young, born in 1962, who is older than President Lee, as "grandpa."
At the Nokjiwon experience booth zone that followed, a signing event by President Lee was held. One child drew attention by requesting an autograph on President Lee's book "In the End, the People Do It." To a child who said he wanted to become president, President Lee drew laughter from the audience again by saying, "You can only be president for five years."
According to Deputy Spokesperson Ahn, President Lee signed autographs personally for each child at their request, delivering warm messages of encouragement such as "Achieve your dreams," "I love you," and "You will become a great announcer." First lady Kim, recalling her visit to a special class of the "Healthy Food Explorers" on April 29, welcomed the cupcake-making booth prepared that day and participated in the activity with the children. She also watched a performance by the Army Taekwondo Demonstration Team.
In particular, Deputy Spokesperson Ahn said President Lee watched the children playing and expressed deep gratitude to parents and teachers who work hard to ensure children grow up healthy and strong. President Lee also said, "For today at least, Cheong Wa Dae has become a space filled with children's laughter," and pledged, "As president, I will fulfill my responsibilities so that our children can grow up in a safer environment." He added, "I will do my best to build a country where children can nurture their dreams in any environment and take on challenges based on fair opportunities."
