Lee pledges to carry on Kim Dae-jung's legacy on 17th anniversary of former president's death

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday marked the 17th anniversary of the death of former President Kim Dae-jung by pledging to carry on his governing philosophy as South Korea works to overcome national challenges and chart a path toward the future.

In a eulogy delivered at a memorial ceremony at Seoul National Cemetery, Lee said he would "carry Kim Dae-jung as a great milestone in my heart and press forward without hesitation, no matter what trials lie ahead." Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik read the address on his behalf.

"President Kim's wisdom and pioneering spirit are the clearest milestone pointing the way forward for the Republic of Korea," Lee said, adding that he offered "deep condolences before the noble spirit of our great teacher, former President Kim, who thought only of the people and democracy." He also expressed personal longing for the late leader, saying, "These days I deeply miss the president who led us through an unprecedented crisis and onto a new path forward."

Lee also assessed the current political and economic situation. "The reality we face today is no less grave than it was then," he said. "Economic uncertainty is mounting amid the reshaping of the international order and the turbulence of a great industrial transformation, and the shadow of long-accumulated polarization only grows darker." He added, "The harsher the trials, the more I reflect on President Kim's wisdom and footsteps. He was a visionary who looked far into the future long before others did."

Lee put forward "growth" and "inclusion" as the core values of his administration. "With growth that drives progress and inclusion that shares warmth as our two pillars, we will bring real change to the lives of each and every citizen," he said.

On securing future growth engines, Lee said Kim "even while rebuilding a country in the grip of a national crisis, laid the groundwork for a knowledge and information powerhouse by building a nationwide high-speed communications network and planted the seeds of what would become K-culture." He pledged that his government would "carry on that vision and lead the great waves of the AI revolution and energy transition." He added that his administration would "drive the engine of growth through securing cutting-edge technology and building new industrial ecosystems, and press boldly ahead toward an irreplaceable Korea that no one in the world can take lightly."

On welfare and inclusion policy, Lee said his government would "continue the philosophy of President Kim, who warmly embraced the lives of the people," and vowed to honor the spirit behind Kim's enactment of the National Basic Livelihood Security Act even during times of extreme fiscal hardship — a declaration, Lee said, that "welfare is not charity but a right of the people and a productive investment."

He said he would "never for a moment forget that it is the government's duty to dispel the deep shadow of polarization, build a firm safety net that supports the lives of all citizens, and ensure that the fruits of growth are shared equitably across the entire nation."

Lee closed by vowing to "fulfill the responsibilities of governance through action rather than words, and results rather than slogans," and asked the late president to "watch over the future of the Republic of Korea and the lives of our people warmly, even from the heavens."