Lee Jae-myung praises Saemaul Movement’s lasting value

President Lee Jae-myung on May 14 described the Saemaul Movement as a cornerstone of South Korea’s modernization drive, saying the initiative still carries value in the present day.

The movement, launched under former President Park Chung-hee during the country’s industrialization era, helped improve South Korea’s cultural, economic and social landscape and delivered significant results, Lee said.

“It remains meaningful and useful even today,” he said. Lee made the remarks during a meeting with the National Council of the Saemaul Movement in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, where he described the movement as an effective model for South Korea’s overseas development assistance programs.

“One of the best ways to maximize the impact of our foreign aid projects is to share the Saemaul Movement experience,” Lee said.

The visit marked the first time a president from the Democratic Party of Korea had officially attended an event hosted by the Saemaul Movement organization.

“This is the first official visit to Saemaul by a Democratic Party president. It is unprecedented,” Lee said.

The presidential office said the event was intended to highlight the spirit of unity that once helped South Korea achieve rapid economic growth through the Saemaul Movement while emphasizing the importance of solidarity in overcoming broader social and global challenges, including instability tied to the Middle East conflict.

Lee also praised the organization’s volunteer work, describing it as one of the country’s most active civic groups.

“Saemaul has played an enormous role in South Korea’s modernization,” he said. “It may be one of the civic organizations most deeply committed to volunteer service, carrying out its work quietly and consistently. Even now, its community service efforts are unmatched.”

At the same time, Lee urged the organization to maintain political neutrality ahead of the June 3 local elections.

“If the group becomes too closely associated with one side, as some people fear, it risks losing public respect,” he said. “Once organizations are repeatedly drawn into politics, they inevitably lose credibility.”

Lee also referred to his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province, when he proposed replacing Saemaul flags displayed at government offices with flags representing other civic groups.

“I appreciate that the organization cooperated at the time without turning it into a controversy,” he said.


윤다빈 empty@donga.com