President Lee Jae-myung speaks at the 30th Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 14th. 2026.07.14 Blue House Press Corps
President Lee Jae-myung emphasized on the 14th that he would “establish lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and walk without wavering on the path where South and North prosper together.”
President Lee made the remarks in a written congratulatory address, read on his behalf by Lim Woong-soon, second deputy director of the National Security Office, at the North Korean Defectors’ Day event held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, that day. “I will do my utmost to open a future of coexistence and cooperation, beyond conflict and confrontation,” he said.
Addressing the North Korean defectors, President Lee said, “I believe that starting life anew while adapting to an unfamiliar society was surely never easy.” He added, “The government will look after you even more closely so that you, as proud citizens of the Republic of Korea, do not bear the weight of life alone.”
He continued, “The lives of you North Korean defectors are conveying hope and inspiration to our society.” He added, “I firmly believe that the experience of understanding and trusting one another within a new community will become the foundation for social integration and, someday, a precious asset in preparing for a future where South and North live together.”