President Lee Jae-myung declared Sunday that he would build "a normal society where norms and rules agreed upon by all citizens are firmly upheld," speaking at a press conference marking the first anniversary of his inauguration.
"What innovation and challenge can we expect in a country where breaking the rules brings benefits and where people succeed through foul play and expedient means?" Lee said at the conference.
"No matter how minor it may seem, I will resolutely correct foul play, privilege and unfairness that hinder people's lives," he stressed. "I will more forcefully push for the normalization of abnormalities throughout society." He added, "I will thoroughly and sternly punish crimes affecting people's livelihoods, such as stock manipulation and real estate crimes that disrupt market order, and I will steadfastly carry out structural reform tasks to dismantle privilege."
Lee also emphasized active governance to protect citizens' lives and a dignified existence. "As a government that saves people's lives, I will do my utmost to protect the lives and dignified existence of all citizens," he said. "In a country where people contemplate life and death while suffering from debt, and meet death at the workplaces where they go to make a living, the title of economic and industrial powerhouse and the achievement of being a diplomatic and security powerhouse can never be a source of pride."
"There is no more important duty of the state than protecting people's lives," he continued. "I will protect citizens with a thick, seamless social safety mattress — from finance that saves lives, to workplaces where people can work with peace of mind, to a welfare system that abandons no one's life, to crime-free streets."
He pledged, "I will build a system that puts citizens' lives and safety first across all areas of governance, including finance, welfare, labor, medical care, public safety and disaster response."
Regarding the direction of governance, Lee said, "The only standard for governance is the people's lives." He added, "To defend people's lives amid an era of great upheaval, I will transform into an innovative, pragmatic government that is most proactive about change." He stressed, "I will break away from conventional practices and judge and act in extraordinary ways. Beyond leading innovation, the government itself will become a model of innovation."
He also added, "I will continuously evolve into a government where no walls exist between ministries when it comes to people's livelihoods, a government that debates fiercely but executes swiftly, and a government that does not discriminate among policies as long as they help people's lives. I will never compromise when it comes to the people's lives."
