(Unofficial Translation)

Let me begin the 20th Cabinet Meeting.

This is the last Cabinet Meeting that I shall preside over during my Administration as President. Today’s Meeting has been rescheduled to responsibly deliberate and decide on bills regarding prosecutorial reform before the end of my term. The National Assembly passed the bills to revise the Prosecutors’ Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act and requested the Government to promulgate them.

My Administration has unwaveringly pushed to reform law enforcement authorities in line with the mandate of the times bestowed upon the government that was born out of the candlelight revolution. Great strides have been made in the institutional reform of law enforcement agencies – the establishment of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, the adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecutors, the implementation of the autonomous local police system, the installation of the National Office of Investigation and the overhaul of the National Intelligence Service. This reform drive was intended to guarantee the people’s basic rights while making law enforcement apparatus faithfully fulfil their inherent duties according to the principle of checks and balances as well as democratic control.

Despite such efforts and achievements, concerns persist over political neutrality and fairness in prosecutors’ investigations as well as over optionally applied justice. Moreover, it has been noted that those endeavors were not sufficient to earn public confidence. I believe this is the reason why the National Assembly took a step closer to the separation of the Prosecution Service’s powers to investigate and indict.

The bills to revise the Prosecutors’ Office Act and the Criminal Procedure Act will be reviewed today to decide whether they should be promulgated. They are designed to reduce the scope of prosecutors’ direct investigations by confining the categories of crimes for which prosecutors may initiate investigation to corruption and economic crimes; to continue to separate the rights to investigate and indict within the Prosecution Service; and to ban unjust pretextual investigations into unsubstantiated charges.

As for the issue of legislative procedure, regrettably, considerable struggles were experienced as the bipartisan agreement that had been reached through the National Assembly Speaker’s arbitration was broken. Since these two bills have a significant bearing on the people’s lives and human rights issues, I urge all the Cabinet members to have unreserved discussions and deliberation from the perspective of common sense and public expectations, regardless of the ministries and agencies you belong to or the undertakings you are engaged in.

It is truly meaningful for me to preside over the last Cabinet Meeting with all of the Cabinet members brought together in one place as the COVID-19 situation is settling down. I am also deeply moved to have this last Meeting in this Cabinet Meeting hall – not in the videoconference room – that has been traditionally used by all the administrations to date at Cheong Wa Dae, which will soon be history. Cabinet members, all of you have so far done a really great job. While taking the helm of each ministry and agency, you have played a pivotal role in weathering the era of upheaval and great transformation by closely communicating and cooperating with other ministries and agencies. National interests and the people have always been at the center of your endeavors. Thanks to all of you, it has become possible for my Administration to successfully wind up its service with numerous achievements even amid a series of crises.

My Administration’s five years were a time to overcome national crises by fully mustering government-wide capabilities and a process of making even greater progress while turning crises into opportunities. Against Japan’s unjustifiable export restrictions, we have strived to attain self-sufficiency in our materials, parts and equipment industries, thereby solidifying the foundation for “a nation that cannot by shaken.”

Amid the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, we did everything possible to protect the people’s lives and the economy by operating a pan-government contingency system under the two wings of the Central Disease Control Headquarters and the Central Economic Response Headquarters. Our epidemic prevention and control measures as well as economic responses without a lockdown were praised as a world-class example. In the process of surmounting the crisis in particular, the direction of the recovery has remained people-centered and inclusiveness has been consistently strengthened. We have boldly taken on such new challenges as creating new growth engines, promoting a digital transition and blazing the trail for a carbon-neutral era.

At the same time, we strived to build a robust national defense and peace on the Korean Peninsula and greatly expanded our diplomatic horizons while bolstering international cooperation. The related ministries and agencies are working hand in hand to respond agilely in the face of the recent rapid changes in the external economic and security environment.

Until the very end of its term, my Administration has devoted all of its efforts to surmounting the crisis and done everything it can for Korea to emerge as a pace-setting nation. I expect that the achievements and efforts over the past five years will benefit the next administration and serve as a foundation for the continued advancement of the Republic of Korea.

All ministers and public servants from every ministry and agency have worked very hard. I shall never forget the hard work that has been made in unison for the sake of the people and country. I would also like to express my gratitude to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon for attending the last Cabinet Meeting today.

Thank you.