New president vows to unite divided nation in inaugural address

President Lee Jae-myung takes the oath of office in his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps.

President Lee Jae-myung pledged Wednesday to make national unity his top priority and break with the era of divisive politics, as he took the office as the next leader of the country.

In his inaugural address at the National Assembly in Seoul, Lee cast himself as a “president for all,” emphasizing that the office carries a responsibility to serve every citizen — regardless of whom they supported at the ballot box.

"It is time to build bridges of coexistence, reconciliation and solidarity over the hatred and confrontation that have divided us,” Lee said. “Now is the moment to open wide an era of happiness for the people, filled with dreams and hope."

His remarks came a day after the presidential candidate of the liberal Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) won the election by garnering 49.42 percent of the vote compared to Kim Moon-soo of the conservative People Power Party at 41.15 percent.

Lee called for the country to move beyond outdated ideological polarization, apparently referring to the severe national divisions shown in the aftermath of his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law fiasco and the election campaign. He urged a renewed focus on the real challenges facing the nation — without framing them as liberal or conservative concerns.

"Unity is a mark of competence, while division is a result of incompetence," he said. "We will restore communication and dialogue on the foundation of coexistence and integration, and revive a politics of concession and compromise."

President Lee Jae-myung waves to attendees as he stands next to first lady Kim Hye-kyung during his inauguration ceremony at the National Assembly in Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

He outlined the direction of his new administration, vowing to establish a pragmatic and flexible government. He also reaffirmed his commitment to free market principles.

"Whether it's Park Chung-hee's policies or Kim Dae-jung's, if they are necessary and useful, we will adopt them without distinction. The Lee Jae-myung administration will be a pragmatic, market-oriented government," he said, referring to two former presidents who were conservative and liberal, respectively.

Lee also promised to shift regulations to a more permissive framework, in order to ensure creative and proactive business activities.

"We will strongly support entrepreneurs so they can freely start businesses, grow and compete in the global market," the new president vowed, pledging large-scale investment and support for high-tech industries such as AI and semiconductors, as well as a transition to a renewable energy-centered society to address the climate crisis.

"Innovation and new growth are only possible in a country where every citizen’s basic living conditions are guaranteed and where a strong social safety net allows for bold challenges," he said, emphasizing that "both individuals and the nation must grow in order to share."

President Lee Jae-myung enters the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday, the first day of his term. Joint Press Corps

Lee also emphasized his commitment to broadening the scope of Korea’s diplomacy and strengthening its international standing as a means to expand the nation’s economic reach.

"Through pragmatic, national interest–focused diplomacy, we will turn the crisis brought by the major shifts in the global economic and security environment into an opportunity to maximize our national interests,” Lee said, adding that his government will approach relations with neighboring countries from a perspective of practicality and national interest.

Regarding Yoon's Dec. 3 martial law declaration, he pledged to uncover the full facts in order to "hold those responsible to account, and establish firm measures to prevent any recurrence."

"An insurrection that seizes the people's sovereignty with the very weapons entrusted by the people must never happen again," he noted.

President Lee Jae-myung speaks as he looks at Kang Hoon-sik, third from right, the new chief of staff, during a press briefing held to announce his key appointments at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

Later in the afternoon, Lee announced the appointments of key members of his administration at the presidential office in central Seoul's Yongsan District.

He appointed four-term lawmaker Kim Min-seok of the DPK as prime minister, and another DPK lawmaker Kang Hoon-sik as the chief of staff. Lee Jong-seok, former deputy secretary of the National Security Council (NSC) and former unification minister, was tapped to be the chief of the National Intelligence Service, and Wi Sung-lac, former ambassador to Russia and deputy chief of mission of the Korean Embassy in the U.S., as the director of the NSC.

Lee stated that his key criteria for appointing personnel are “loyalty and competence.”

“It’s not easy to find someone who possesses both loyalty and capability,” Lee said. “There could be a conflict between prioritizing expertise and promoting unity. Yet, as you will see, the appointments have not been made based simply on personal closeness."

The president added that appointments for economy-related institutions would be finalized soon, following consultations within the party and with a range of voices. “Rather than allowing just a handful of people to make personnel decisions unilaterally, I believe it’s important to hear from the party, the public, the opposition and the media beforehand," he said.

Lee noted that the formation of economic leadership is tied to medium- and long-term policy, and emphasized the priority now is passing a supplementary budget to support economic recovery.

"I plan to gather not only the heads of all relevant ministries but also working-level staff to thoroughly assess what recovery policies can be implemented immediately," he said.

A banner marking the presidential inauguration is hung on the outer wall at the National Assembly building in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday, the day President Lee Jae-myung officially took office. Yonhap

Meanwhile, Lee instructed the formation of an emergency economic task force as his first executive order after taking office.

In addition, although all Cabinet members appointed by Yoon expressed their intention to resign, Lee rejected the resignations of all ministers except for Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, citing the need for continuity in state affairs.

He also ordered all public officials who had been working at the presidential office during the Yoon administration to return to work immediately, pointing to the office's current state of dysfunction as all necessary equipment, including computers, was gone.