Prime Minister Kim Min-seok Honors Kim Dae-jung at Inaugural Award Ceremony

On July 14, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok delivered a speech at the inaugural Kim Dae-jung Award ceremony held at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul, co-hosted by the International Political Science Association (IPSA) and the Kim Dae-jung Foundation. He stated, "The path of Kim Dae-jung, a leader who is creating a new Republic of Korea, has become the path of Lee Jae-myung. The new president will also revive the nation through pragmatism and fulfill the vision of a 'country where the people are the masters.'"

The ceremony marked the 100th anniversary of former President Kim Dae-jung's birth, and Prime Minister Kim expressed that the establishment of the award in his name signifies that Kim Dae-jung was not merely a politician but a great political thinker, representing the honor of all South Koreans.

He reflected on his own identity, stating, "If you ask me what my identity is, I am a person of Kim Dae-jung. DJ discovered and nurtured me in my twenties, and I learned politics under him, eventually becoming a member of the National Assembly."

Recalling the recent political turmoil in South Korea, he mentioned, "When our nation faced a crisis due to an illegal martial law and insurrection last winter, I thought of President Kim Dae-jung again. As he believed in history and the people, the Korean people are indeed great."

He noted that the world is once again admiring the resilience of Korean democracy, which was expressed through the 'Light Revolution.' He emphasized that the path of Kim Dae-jung, who overcame personal hardships and national crises, is now the path of the new president, Lee Jae-myung.

Prime Minister Kim concluded by stating that just as President Kim Dae-jung unified conservatives and progressives to overcome the financial crisis and solidify democracy, the new president will also transcend ideology to revive the nation and realize a 'country where the people are the masters.'