Six months of rebuilding and recovery under Lee

Dec 08, 2025, 08:21 am

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Attendees applaud during a briefing marking the first six months of President Lee Jae-myung’s administration at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on December 7. In the front row from right: Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac, Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom, Senior Political Secretary Woo Sang-ho, Senior Public Communication Secretary Lee Kyu-yeon, Senior Civic Engagement Secretary Jeon Sung-hwan, and Senior Civil Affairs Secretary Bong Wook. / Source: Yonhap News

On December 7, the presidential office laid out the achievements of President Lee Jae-myung’s first six months in office, describing the past 187 days — 4,488 hours — as a period of “all-out effort” to restore daily life and reestablish national momentum. Senior aides emphasized improvements across the economy, diplomacy and national security, as well as renewed engagement with the public.

During a briefing titled “The First Six Months of the Lee Administration: A Report to the People” held at the Yongsan presidential office, the heads of the three senior offices — Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, National Security Advisor Wi Sung-lac, and Policy Chief Kim Yong-beom — delivered sector-by-sector updates alongside other senior secretaries.

Kang said the government had “moved quickly to rebuild daily life shattered by the insurrection and set the nation back on a starting line for growth and renewed progress,” while noting that instability in global affairs and deep-seated domestic challenges meant “the road ahead remains long.”

Wi highlighted diplomatic and security achievements, including U.S. backing for South Korea’s rights related to uranium enrichment, spent-fuel reprocessing, and nuclear-powered submarine development. He also underscored strengthened ties with the United States and Japan, as well as the full restoration of Seoul–Beijing relations marked by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit to South Korea in 11 years.

“Through 36 summit meetings and participation in five international multilateral forums, we have projected South Korea’s role as a responsible global nation,” he said.

Kim Yong-beom said the economic recovery was gaining clear traction, describing it as the moment when “the growth engine has been switched back on.” He noted that four major indicators — economic sentiment, the stock market, the real economy, and income distribution — improved simultaneously, a development he said was unprecedented since relevant data began in 2006. Kim added that ongoing tariff negotiations with Washington would help elevate bilateral ties into a “21st-century technology-security-economic alliance.”

Senior Secretary for Public Communication Lee Kyu-yeon stressed President Lee’s efforts to meet citizens directly in seven regions — Gwangju, Daejeon, Busan, Gangwon Province, Daegu, northern Gyeonggi Province, and South Chungcheong Province — over the past six months. He also pointed to 14 live-broadcast Cabinet meetings, a first in Korean history, and seven interviews with foreign media outlets.

Separately, Kang said the presidential office’s relocation from Yongsan back to Cheong Wa Dae would be completed “around Christmas.”

#Lee Jae-myung #Six-month performance #Economic recovery #Summit diplomacy #Public communication