President's New Year's Address "I will make this year the first year of Korea's great leap forward"

- 2026.1.1 (website)

Dear beloved and respected citizens, the Year of the Red Horse, Byung-o year, a new year has dawned.

First, I offer my gratitude to our people who trusted the government last year and crossed the waves of crisis together with us.

The Year of the Blue Snake, Eul-sa year, which sheds its skin and is reborn, has been a time of recovery and normalization for us all, overcoming worry and anxiety. Restoring the nation that collapsed from internal strife was the most urgent task.

With swift supplementary budgets and consumer coupons for livelihood recovery playing their role effectively, consumer sentiment has recovered to its highest level in 7 years and 7 months, and economic growth rates are on an upward trend. The stock market has surpassed the KOSPI 4000, and exports have set a new record of 700 billion dollars annually. Concern-tinged despair is being transformed into hope-filled prospects.

The 260,000 GPUs we struggled to secure, the National Growth Fund worth 150 trillion won, and the 'First Budget for the AI Era' agreed upon by both parties will serve as an important platform supporting the development of advanced industries and small and medium-sized venture enterprises.

The return of 'Democratic Korea' to the international community and 'practical diplomacy centered on national interests' have greatly broadened our horizons toward growth and advancement. In particular, it is encouraging that much of the uncertainty pressing down on our economy has been resolved by concluding the tariff negotiations with the United States.

From the construction of nuclear-powered submarines to uranium enrichment and expanded authority for spent nuclear fuel reprocessing, our Korea-US alliance in its renaissance will provide solid support for economic revival.

Most hopeful is the change that the collective wisdom of the sovereign people, proven through the 'Revolution of Light,' has begun to take center stage in state governance.

From the citizen recommendation system and citizen mailbox to town hall meetings and live broadcasts of cabinet meetings and work reports, I will make direct communication with citizens part of our daily life and will never stop innovating to increase transparency in state governance.

Proud citizens, thanks to you uniting your hearts, we have been able to recover the collapsed livelihood economy and democracy at a much faster pace than expected.

However, we have only just reached the starting line. Because we started late compared to others, we must now run faster.

Therefore, in the new year of 2026, the goal of the people-sovereign government is clear. I will make this year a year of vigorous galloping like the red horse, the 'first year of Korea's great leap forward.' I will certainly achieve major advancement and growth in all sectors including politics, economy, society, culture, diplomacy, and security.

The fruits of growth through great advancement will not be monopolized by a select few but will be shared equally by all. To this end, I will definitively eliminate the loopholes and unfairness that remain throughout society and will work diligently to create a 'society without cheating and privilege.'

Rather than a nation where only the state is rich while its people are poor, I will achieve a great leap forward where the entire people grow together as the nation grows, and where large and small enterprises coexist and grow. The sole measure of great advancement is the 'people's livelihood.'

Beyond the 'time of recovery' filled with the patience and effort of our people, I will open the door to a true 'time of fruition.' I will pour all the capacity the government can muster so that the people can directly feel 'this year being better than last year' in their lives.

I will ensure that the brilliant light of K-democracy that has defeated darkness seeps warmly into the daily lives of our people. Toward a nation where each citizen's face grows brighter, a nation where people enjoy a quality of life befitting Korea's standing, I will accelerate our pace further.

Citizens, our Korea has achieved compressed growth with all our might following the 'formula for success' of the ultra-high-speed industrialization era. Korea, with limited resources, concentrated investment in specific regions, specific companies, and specific classes, achieving the brilliant accomplishment of becoming the world's 10th largest economy.

However, the limitations of this growth strategy are now clearly evident. The 'formula for success' that drove high growth has become the 'trap of success' holding back our ankles.

In this vicious cycle where inequality and disparity obstruct growth and competition and conflict intensify, the concentration of resources and skewed opportunities are no longer stepping stones to growth but obstacles.

We must completely change the paradigm of growth. A great transition to a new path rather than the familiar old road is the shortcut that will lead our Korea to a new future of great advancement.

So, I wish to present five paths of great transformation.

First, I will make a great transformation from 'capital-region-centered growth' to 'locally-led growth.'

The great transformation from a 'single capital-region pole system' to a 'five-pole, three-special system' is not charity or consideration for local areas, but an essential strategy to lead Korea's resurgence. The farther from the capital region, the more generous and bold our support will be.

The relocation of the Maritime Ministry completed last year is only the beginning. Seoul will be the economic capital, the central region the administrative capital, and the southern region the maritime capital, expanding the use of Korea's territory into a multi-pole system. From the semiconductor belt in the energy-rich south to artificial intelligence demonstration cities and renewable energy clusters, I will design a structure where the development of advanced industries connects to the development of regions.

Through concentrated investment that links educational investment for talent and technology development, investment in wide-area transportation and cultural facilities to improve quality of life, and tourism policies into one whole, I will solidly realize the foundation of 'locally-led growth.'

Second, I will make a great transformation from 'growth centered on some large corporations' to 'growth for all' where opportunities and fruits are shared equally.

While all the people joined forces to successfully conclude tariff negotiations, it is an undeniable fact that the resulting benefits are flowing mainly to a few large corporations. The same applies to defense and nuclear power exports worth tens of trillions of won annually.

Now, the shared economic achievements accomplished through the collective capacity and efforts of all the people must flow to small and medium-sized and venture enterprises and fill the pockets of the people. The 'National Growth Fund' launched last year will serve as a catalyst for transformation, allowing any citizen to invest in the nation's growth and development and to share the fruits of growth equally.

The growth of Korea's economy in the 70s was led by challenging entrepreneurial spirit, and the leap to becoming an IT powerhouse in the 2000s was led by innovative venture spirit. From the AI era to the energy transition, now when the existing order is being shaken will be a time of infinite opportunity for innovators leading 'creative destruction.'

The government will generously support young entrepreneurs and startups to freely and boldly challenge and freely pioneer the path of innovation in step with the transition from an 'employment-centered society' to an 'entrepreneurship-centered society.'

I will open an era where failure becomes an asset for success and people can always rise again, an age of startup and venture enterprise fever where any idea can lead to entrepreneurship, a golden age for small and medium enterprises.

Third, I will make a great transformation from growth that disregards life and takes risk for granted to sustainable growth where safety is fundamental.

Before this shameful record of 'OECD's #1 in occupational accident death rate,' the achievement of being the world's 10th largest economy can never be a source of pride. In a country where families sent off after breakfast do not return in the evening, what good is a high economic growth rate?

The cost and price for disregarding life must be paid much more dearly than now. In a country filled with dangerous workplaces where no one wants to work, neither the company's continued growth nor the country's continued development can be achieved.

Through the addition of 2,000 labor inspectors and the establishment of workplace guardians, I will ensure that safe working environments and respect for life take root. Growth achieved in safe workplaces is the sustainable growth that guarantees the happiness of the people.

Fourth, I will make a great transformation from growth driven only by products to growth driven by culture.

In an era where K-content exports surpass secondary batteries and electric vehicles, investment in culture is no longer corporate social responsibility but now an essential growth strategy. Culture is now economy, future food source, and the core pillar of national competitiveness. K-pop fandom grows into K-beauty maniacs. K-drama viewership rates lift K-food sales rates. A virtuous cycle occurs where industries grow through culture as a medium.

So that K-culture does not remain a passing trend, I will exert all efforts to enrich the entire cultural ecosystem, including foundational arts that serve as the root of popular culture. Based on the culture budget significantly increased to 9.6 trillion won, I will ensure that K-content permeates deeper and wider into the world.

Fifth and finally, I will make a great transformation from this unstable growth that comes with the threat of war to stable growth supported by peace.

Solid peace is another word for growth, and strong security is the driving force of prosperity. If we transform the costs and risks caused by hostility into growth supported by peace, we can convert the current 'Korea Risk' into the future 'Korea Premium.'

The government is consistently promoting measures to ease military tensions between North and South Korea and restore trust, and is forming a consensus with the international community, including the United States and China, on peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. This year, as a 'peacemaker,' we will actively support North-US dialogue and continue to seek restoration of inter-Korean relations.

The Korea-US Alliance, which has evolved into a 'comprehensive strategic alliance,' will take a meaningful step toward peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula based on strong self-reliant defense. 'National interest-centered pragmatic diplomacy' will extend wider toward the world. As a global responsible power, I will solidify Korea's leadership and make the model of shared prosperity through cooperation a global exemplar.

People, the five principles of great transformation I mentioned earlier are not romantic imperatives or wishes.

I am making an urgent appeal that if we fail to achieve a great transformation in our growth and development strategy, the Republic of Korea will not be able to escape the quagmire of low growth. There is no more room for choice. There is no more time to hesitate. Now is the time for action and implementation. So that 2026 can be recorded as 'the first year of a great leap through transformation,' I will move forward trusting only the people.

Esteemed and beloved people, last year while traversing the diplomatic stage, I frequently said 'we must strengthen national power.'

The national power I speak of does not mean only economic power or military power. As the turbulent history of our Republic of Korea proves, the source of national power has always been the people. The more each of the 52 million people becomes happy, the more dreams, hopes, and challenges overflow, the greater the national power of our Republic of Korea becomes.

This year, the people-sovereign government will respond more faithfully to our people's urgent question of 'if the state becomes strong and prosperous, will my life also improve?' I will become a government where the next 4 years and 5 months are more anticipated than the past 7 months.

With the determination of 'even a thousand-mile journey begins with a single step,' I will grow the achievements of small changes one by one like snowballs. I will not avoid the reform process where immediate results are not visible. With patience and sincerity for the future, I will put our heads together and gather wisdom.

I well understand that all these difficult and great tasks are possible only through the unity of the people and their solid trust. As 'a president for all the people,' I will approach state affairs with greater humility.

I believe in the strength of our people who have transformed the winter of despair into the spring of hope. Please, the masters of this nation, join in the journey toward the future of the Republic of Korea. Just as we gathered our strength last year and established a new milestone for democracy, let us now together create a 'new standard of growth and leap' that the world will follow and learn from.

The great leap of the Republic of Korea is ultimately made by the people! Thank you.

▶ Source of original text: https://www.korea.kr/news/policyNewsView.do?newsId=148957396