Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, stepping down from his post, said he would "run with a greater sense of mission in a new chapter to support the success of the Lee Jae-myung government's state affairs and open a new era."
Kim made the remarks at a farewell ceremony held at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on Monday. "Today I leave the office of prime minister and return to the party and the National Assembly. I was nominated on the day the new government was launched and have completed a one-year mission," he said. He added, "Warning against martial law, fighting insurrection, and even taking on the post of prime minister in the new government was an honor beyond my worth," and said, "I have received truly great grace from the people and the president."
He cited the achievements of the past year as the successful hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, attracting a global AI hub, the return of medical students, clearing insurrection from the administration, the realization of the Gwangju-Jeonnam integration, support for Saemangeum investment, large corporations' regional investment, a reduction in suicides, and U.S.-China diplomacy. He stressed, "Tasks such as improving the lives of young people and driving region-led growth into full swing will continue to be addressed in the party and the National Assembly."
Kim said, "I thank the government officials, including those at the Prime Minister's Office, for their efforts, and I ask that you devote yourselves even more fiercely, centered on the president." He then urged, "I believe that politics is about seeing the future through the eyes of the weak," adding, "I ask that you continue to uphold the attitude of officials of the Lee Jae-myung government, who put the people, life, and the vulnerable first."
