Good evening, fellow Koreans,

The Lunar New Year holidays began today. Some of you may be disappointed that the holidays fall on the weekend this year.

By this time, many of you may be listening to this broadcast in your cars headed to your hometowns. I believe all of you are excited about rejoining your families despite the snarled traffic.

I understand that some of you may not be able to visit your hometowns because of one reason or another. One of my favorite poets once said, “Life means the endurance of loneliness.” But I hope we all can take some time to think about our neighbors who are currently going through a lonely and difficult time, and show them that we care.

For my part, I will do what I can to help revive the economy and create more jobs this year so that our society will be filled with warm spirits and caring atmosphere.

Tomorrow morning, family members will sit together after making a deep bow to their elders and have conversations over sliced rice-cake soup. They may include worries about price rise, jobs, life after retirement and the marriage of children. Health problems as well as the Winter Olympic Games now underway will also make interesting topics for family conversation. While you are bringing up these issues, I hope you, as citizens of Korea, will also think about where the world and the Republic of Korea are moving today.

These days, I often look back on how my own life has unfolded over the years. Every time I do so, I am filled with special emotion at the fact that there have been tremendous changes in my life and that I have gone through so many things. What a sea change it is for a person who once sold rice snacks on the street as a boy to become President! It is, however, not something that I accomplished alone. It is part of the astounding transformation and accomplishments of the Republic of Korea.

When I met President Obama and discussed the issue of the KORUS FTA, I told him the following story:

“One day when I was young, I was told that American missionaries were giving out used clothes, so I joined the long queue to get some. However, I was not able to get a single piece of clothing that day. I was too shy to move to the front of the line. By the time I got front, all the clothes were gone. So I guess I can say that I didn’t get a lot of help from the United States personally. Yet most Koreans, who lived through the difficult post war years, did. The poor and desperate country that the United States had to help with the lives of 37,000 young soldiers during the Korean War, has now emerged as a nation that is holding out helping hand to other countries in need. Is there any country in the world that was helped by the United States during the wars in the 20th century and achieved such a spectacular success as Korea did? None. Isn’t it the Republic of Korea that has best upheld the values of free democracy and market economics? The United States must be proud of what it has done for Korea. Korea-US relations should not be seen only in the context of narrow national interests. Historically, it constitutes an exemplary common-value alliance. For these reasons, the two countries need to move toward a more solid, future-oriented alliance revolving around greater values going beyond petty interests.”

In response, President Obama expressed heartfelt understanding of my view, and he has frequently taken Korea as an example since that day.

Korea has achieved industrialization and democratization at the same time earlier than any other developing country in the world. Even though born poor, anyone can become successful in this country as long as they work hard. If I was not born in Korea, how could I ever have become President? That’s why I always feel obliged to the country and carry on with a solemn sense of responsibility.

The most powerful driving force that has sustained me is an awareness of calling. I have never forgotten my mandate as president: “I will help my beloved homeland, the Republic of Korea, to join the ranks of leading countries in the world. I will make sure to lay the foundation across all fronts for Korea to become an advanced nation. By doing so, future presidents will continue to be successful and Korea’s fortunes will further prosper.”

This is the reason I became President and my ultimate goal. What other personal desires can I have?

During my recent visit to Davos to attend the World Economic Forum, I had a chance to meet many leaders around the world. I also spoke with world-renowned figures who often appear on TV, including Bill Gates. During the meetings, I could clearly see how the status of our country in the international stage has profoundly changed.

I was treated with great generosity in Davos thanks to the excellence of the Korean people. Korea attracted an awful lot of attention, indeed. Such a long stream of people wanted to meet me that I was not able to meet them all.

Over the past two years, Korea has forged closer ties with almost all countries across the globe. They now want to establish friendly relations with Korea. Many leaders I met told me, “Korea has demonstrated an amazing risk-management ability during the financial crisis.” What truly impressed them in particular was that labor and management worked together to implement a job-sharing program, which was unprecedented in the world. The entire world was also struck by Korea’s hosting of the G-20 Summit and the successful bid to construct nuclear power plants in the United Arab Emirates.

All this can be credited to you who have persevered in your respective positions through hardships without uttering any complaints and have continued to work hard.

There has been internal discord due to one reason or another, but all Koreans have joined forces in surmounting a variety of crises. We are stretching our great potential to the full once again. I cannot find words to thank you all enough. I take this opportunity to express my wholehearted appreciation and respect to all of you.

Fellow Koreans,

The world has now truly become a community with a common destiny. By now, the destinies of individuals, nations and all humanity are intertwined as one. We have been thinking that things will go smoothly for us as the damage done by the recent financial crisis has been mitigated substantially. But the fact is that the recent financial crisis emanating from southern Europe is suddenly having an adverse impact on our market.

Gone are the days of the zero-sum paradigm when one party thrived at the cost of another. Hereafter, pursuers of the zero-sum game are bound to be destroyed. What the world needs now is a win-win strategy by which everyone cooperates and competes in good faith. This is the paradigm the world has to accommodate for a bright future for all.

The nations that advance the fastest today are not the ones with a closed mindset. The leading nations have open minds, breathe with the world and reach for other nations in the international arena. They regard the problems of the world as their own and are actively seeking solutions and implementing them.

This is the way to build a greater Korea. Suppose that the Korean people had acted selfishly without looking around like a frog in a deep well. Suppose that we had failed to take up and carry out causes that the world shares. Then, we would not have the prestige we enjoy now.

That principle works the same way domestically. When different regions engage in wrangling among themselves especially in a small country like ours, there can never be progress. Residents of particular regions should try to develop their specialty industry in competition with other countries. When such regional efforts are combined, the result will be a considerable synergy effect.

The synergy effect is bound to bolster the national economy as well as the economies of other provinces. The issue involving Sejong City can be evaluated from the same perspective. The development plan of Sejong City will not benefit the city alone. It will be like Pohang city that nurtured POSCO, the Pohang Iron and Steel Co. The advantage originating from POSCO is not limited to Pohang but benefits the whole country, the entire Korean society.

In the same context, Hyundai Motors originally started its production in Ulsan City. As the carmaker grew fast globally, however, its positive impact on the whole Korean automobile industry has been tremendous. Samsung Electronics is based in Suwon and LG’s LCD plants are located in Paju. But are the citizens of Suwon and Paju the only beneficiaries of the two companies?

The Sejong City development plan envisages revitalizing the adjacent areas initially by building up the knowledge industry, the flower of the 21st century economy. When the fruit of the efforts spreads through the central region and around the country, the nation’s vision of becoming a global knowledge powerhouse in the 21st century will have been materialized in large measure. 

The Sejong City issue should not be approached from a political standpoint. It should be carried out for the benefit of all Koreans and the country. What will really benefit the Korean people and what will be the patriotic way to take for the sake of the country’s future? We all have to stop and think about that in a cool-headed manner.

In the absence of national prosperity, there cannot be regional prosperity. In the absence of national prosperity, there cannot be personal prosperity. When the world does not do well, Korea cannot do well, either.

As long as we all behave with the firm belief that our destiny is bound with the destiny of the world, we will be able to maintain an open mind. We should get rid of the colored glasses that distort our views with prejudice.

As I have mentioned many times before, a patient needs to take extra caution during the recovery period. To insure complete recovery, doctors and nurses, not to mention the seriously ill patient, should never let their guard down during this period.

This year, our national economy is undergoing a period of recovery. Depending on the attitude we take in this regard, the Republic will be on the way to a further take-off or a further decline.

It is critical that we should now be armed with confidence and optimism. That is because we are already riding the waves of positive change. These positive waves should lead each individual to yield positive results.

When we think that we cannot do what is required of us, our country will become less and less. When we say “we can do it,” our country will become greater and greater. This is the way we become happier and happier as individuals as well.

You may wonder why I want to talk about these things while you are heading for your hometowns. But I felt this is a good time to talk about widening our horizons and pursuing the common good. We all have such a responsibility. We are all in the same boat.

Fellow citizens,

It so happens that the Winter Olympics open today in Canada. Let us send big cheers to all the members of our team. Also, let us send the same kind of applause of encouragement to ourselves. That is because we are doing well as a group. When you work diligently, you are contributing to the advancement of the nation and the world. In this sense, each of you is the representative of the Republic.

Finally, I would like to remind you that there is nothing like the love of family. The family is the source of happiness and comfort. Individuals who do not know the love of family find it hard to love other people, too. I hope that you will be able to relax completely and reaffirm the affection of your families, enjoying the holiday warmth.

I wish you a very happy New Year. Thank you very much.