Good morning, fellow Koreans,

Chuseok, the Harvest Moon Festival, is just two days away, but fruits and vegetables are still fetching high prices. Due to frequent typhoons and heavy rains this month, fruit and vegetable prices have soared. It is also very worrisome that our farms are suffering serious damage. In a bid to help those farmers, I bought some fruit that fell from the trees during the Typhoon Kompasu. They were delicious.

Today, I want to ask you a favor. It would be good if more of you would visit traditional markets when you shop for Chuseok gifts or food for ancestral rites. A couple of times recently, I visited traditional markets and found that they have excellent items that were high in quality and reasonable in price.

The merchants in the markets said that they were having more customers these days thanks to improved parking service. We have allowed convenient street parking around traditional markets temporarily this year for the first time. Customers have all along complained of inconvenient access to traditional markets. The Government should continue to introduce and implement such helpful measures in the future.

In addition, I am grateful to public institutions and local governments for having purchased traditional market gift certificates this time. I believe their contributions will go a long way toward revitalizing the traditional markets.

We always look forward to traditional holidays because they provide a chance for families to get together and have a good time. I told my wife that people must be happier this year with longer holidays, but she said, “The longer the holidays, the harder it is for women.” Her words really hit home. I hope we all try to be a little more considerate this year and help each other out so that all family members can have equally enjoyable holiday.

Many of you will head for your hometowns, but some of you may not be able to do so and will be unable to join your families. With this in mind, I sent General Lee Hee-won, the special advisor for national security, to Afghanistan and Lebanon to deliver my holiday message to our men and women in uniform there. I also thank all our servicemen and their families across the nation.

I know that firefighters and police officers are busier than usual during the holidays when other people are taking a rest. I hope all of you will work with a strong sense of duty in the knowledge that your extraordinary service will make everyone safer. We are always grateful to you for your hard work.

Fortunately, because of robust exports this year, I heard that many factories will continue their operation even during the Chuseok holidays. I would like to take this opportunity to compliment these workers for their diligence. Your efforts will certainly pay off.

Those who left their homes in the North will feel more lonely and homesick during the holidays. Their sadness deepens and their longings for family grow stronger with each passing year. I hope the day when they can enjoy Chuseok holidays with their loved ones will come soon. The Government is making efforts to hold reunions of members of separated families on a regular basis. Not to do so would mean many elderly citizens would not have a chance to meet their relatives in their lifetime, for which I feel truly sorry.

The economy is showing signs of recovery. Yet, there still are many citizens who feel uncomfortable with Chuseok approaching. Many low-income families who want to set a proper memorial table are complaining of high consumer prices. Many young people, who have not found a job, think they cannot face their parents this year.

As you all know, I have been emphasizing the creation of a fair society. It is necessary to give those who are left behind yet another chance to start over. In addition, unfair practices have to be uprooted so that everyone is given equal opportunities.

To create a fair society, it is critical for everyone to share what they have with willingness and out of sincere concern for others. In this regard, it is encouraging that an invaluable wave of sharing has recently been rippling through our society.

Sharing does not necessarily require a large fortune. Mr. Shin Yong-jin, who is in his early 30s, has made a monthly donation to institutions for people with intellectual disabilities for 20 years since he was an elementary school student. When he was a school boy, he donated 1,000 won. After getting a job, he started donating a certain portion of his salary every month. His deed deserves high praise. Let us learn from his example.

We also see an increasing number of people donating their talents these days. Lawyers, tax accountants and certified public accountants are assisting low-income, self-employed people in getting Smile Microcredit loans. Their service makes the genuine spirit of the loan program all the more pronounced.

Through tax law revisions, the Government is expanding ceilings for income tax deduction on donations to specific organizations set up by individuals and corporations. This is part of the effort to nurture the spirit of sharing. The core concept of the 2011 Government budget plan is giving greater, genuine hope to low-income families.

The Government envisages shouldering child-care expenses for all children from birth to five years. This comprehensive measure will be applied to all, except those from small group of wealthy households. The Government will also pay for nursery school fees for all children of that age group from multicultural families regardless of their parents’ income.

Third, the Government envisions giving full scholarships to the students of vocational high schools. Academic curriculums and training programs of these schools will also be strengthened as to transform them into select professional institutions. In addition, the new system will allow the students to land jobs as soon as they receive their diploma.

In this way, young people from underprivileged backgrounds will be assured of an equal opportunity as they make their first career move. As they find hope, we will get a step closer to a fair society.

In this connection, I propose that we change our way of thinking. We could do more than just giving out material support to the poor. Our approach should be more fundamental and lasting; we must lift them effectively out of poverty. To this end, the single most important task ahead is creating more jobs.

Fellow citizens,

We all know having warm hearts means more than sharing material things. For this reason, I cannot forget the tenderness of the two elderly women, Kang Gey-hwa and Yun Young-im. We met at dawn on September 2 at the Guri Agricultural and Fisheries Market.

Mrs. Kang, who was obviously suffering from slow business, took me to Mrs. Yun’s vegetables store nearby saying that she is struggling badly as well. Mrs. Yun in turn told me “I’ll manage somehow. Please help others who are worse off.” The two women who were going through hardships were thinking about others in need. Their generosity moved me deeply.

The two ladies demonstrated clearly what the spirit of genuine sharing is all about. They warmed my hearts, and I felt happy. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Mrs. Kang and Mrs. Yun and everyone I met at the market that day a very joyful Chuseok.

It is true that we have holidays every year, but let us greet this Chuseok with bigger hearts, deeper love and greatest joy.

Happy Chuseok, everyone. Thank you very much.