Good morning, fellow Koreans,

This is truly the beautiful month of May when there are a number of meaningful days to celebrate, including Children’s Day, Parents’ Day and Teachers’ Day. Marking such a significant month, I would like to speak with you about gratitude.

This past weekend, I visited China to attend the opening ceremony of Expo 2010 Shanghai. As soon as I arrived in China, I went straight from the airport to visit the building of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea in Shanghai. It is a historic old building standing in a narrow alley with a weather-beaten Taegeukgi flag flying there. In that place, I could sense our patriotic martyrs who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the nation’s independence.

In the Maeheon Memorial Hall located in Lu Xun Park, I met with the imposing figure of patriotic martyr Yoon Bong-gil, who was armed with a grenade and a pistol, showing his resolution to restore independence and freedom to the homeland.

Our patriotic forefathers devoted their entire lives to independence, demonstrating their passionate love of country and the people even in an era of complete darkness when there was no hope. As strangers in a distant land, they weathered numerous hardships and helped make the Republic what it is today.

Now when we are faced with difficulties at home and abroad, it is only right for us to be deeply grateful to them and to contemplate their selfless sacrifices and righteous spirit foregoing their own safety.

But, if we look around us a little more carefully, we can find many patriots hidden in every corner of our communities. We do not have to look far away. There are many people and things we should appreciate in our own neighborhoods. I am profoundly grateful to our parents’ generation for having endured all kinds of tribulations with a single-minded aspiration for the success of their children.

My mother was one of them. One day when I was imprisoned for involvement in student activism, my mother visited the jail to see me. What pain she might have suffered at that time! Nonetheless, being careful not to dishearten me, she encouraged me by saying “I believe you are right. Just act according to your belief, but with responsibility.” A few months after I was set free, my mother passed away from an aggravated illness. My heart always aches with regret that I was not able to buy her any new clothing when she was alive. I have endeavored my entire life to live up to the words of my mother, who trusted me completely and encouraged me despite her breaking heart.

Everyone’s parents, not just mine, have done the same. On the occasion of Parents’ Day in May, I extend my appreciation for all their love and sacrifices.

There are many people who are practicing the virtue of sharing in our society. We must be grateful to them.

Ms Jeon Jeong-sook, who lives in Daejeon, delivers milk early in the morning and makes about 1 million won a month. She takes some portion out of her modest income to give scholarships to several junior high school students. Though she says that she feels ashamed when her small donation is made public, her act is so touching that it brings tears to my eyes. Therefore, I feel all the more appreciative of it. Not because she is well off, but because she feels grateful for all that she has even under adverse circumstances, she is willing to give what small amount she can to her neighbors. Her warm-heartedness is a precious treasure. Her earnest wish that what little she can do with her helping hands might help just a few students take heart is the attitude that will make our society more compassionate.

Recently, numerous scandals of corruption in the educational circles have greatly disappointed the public. Notwithstanding, I know there are numerous genuine teachers.

I have deep-rooted respect for our teachers and see them in a positive light. There are countless teachers who commit themselves to their students. Teachers of Seongsu Girls’ High School in Chuncheon have awarded student scholarship on Teachers’ Day. They donated some of their monthly wages to help out students in need. On Teachers’ Day when students express gratitude to teachers, the teachers of Seongsu Girls’ High School did students a great favor, instead.

Teacher Jeong Won-jong with Duckso High School in Namyangju city gave extra attention and love to a student who wrote a suicide note because of depression about a desperate home situation and a physical disability. Mr. Jeong helped the student successfully overcome the adversities and go on to university. He demonstrated well that the true hope for the nation’s education lies in teachers’ genuine affection and devotion to each student. On behalf of all parents, I would like to extend my appreciation to him.

I also had a never-to-be-forgotten teacher. When I thought I had to give up the idea of going on to high school because of financial difficulties, the teacher encouraged me saying, “You can make it,” and recommended that I attend night classes. Without his encouragement and advice, I would probably not be what I am now. Bowing my head, I would like to express my appreciation to all the teachers of the nation who remain committed to the education of their students.

There are many workplaces that pay extra care to employees and customers, treating them like family members. Those businesses also deserve gratitude.

Ma-eumsarang Hospital in Wanju County, South Jeolla Province is running various programs to help employees improve themselves, including lifelong education courses, overseas training and club activities, on top of quality leisure and welfare facilities. With many beautiful flowers and trees planted in the compound of the hospital, all facilities were built in a patient-friendly manner.

There, they greet each other with “Love to you.” The doctors, nurses and patients all smile all the time as if they are one big family. In this kind of environment, even hard tasks can be dealt with in a cheerful fashion and patients recover faster. I sincerely hope to see more and more workplaces like this in our society.

When we look back on our history, we know there have been countless other people who deserve our thanks.

I am grateful to the patriots who contributed to establishing the Republic of Korea and to the courageous Korean War veterans who fought the Communist invasion in defense of our free Republic. I pay tribute to the industrial warriors who created the Miracle on the Han River as well as to the protagonists of democratization who sacrificed themselves. Our prosperity and happiness today represents the blossoms nurtured by their blood and sweat.

There still are many other people who deserve our thanks at this very moment. They are none other than our own neighbors. They are the ones who donated or sold their gold possessions when the nation’s economy collapsed amid the foreign exchange crisis. They are the ones who helped the country overcome the crisis with one heart.

Since the country was hit with another financial crisis of a global scale, the nation again rallied to the occasion and has been coping with it the fastest and with the most success in the world. The Korean economy is back on a normal path and is now returning to the pre-crisis level. Exports and domestic consumption are on a rising curve, and new jobs are being created little by little. This is truly good news. It is evident that the economic conditions for average people will improve before long.

Recently, Moody’s and other global credit-rating companies gave a high evaluation to these developments and upgraded Korea’s credit standing while downgrading some other economies. Once again, I pay heartfelt tribute to all the citizens of the Republic who have all along put trust in the Government and worked together in a difficult situation.

At the same time, I am moved by the fortitude of the bereaved families of the late sailors of the corvette Cheonan. In such profound sorrow, they said that they were thankful to their fellow citizens who shared their pain. This kind of grace and giving thanks to one another will make our society much warmer and more mature.

Today, the Republic of Korea has become even greater. That is because the nation has found new hope and become one in the course of giving thanks to one another.

Fellow citizens,

A positive attitude is the engine of progress, and gratitude is the main source of the warmth in our society. For those people who think positively and give thanks to others, a crisis has a way of turning into an opportunity for a leap forward.

I wish every one of you a May brimming with thanks, blessings and happiness. I love you all and thank you very much.