NEW YEAR’S ADDRESS BY SANHA LEE, PRESIDENT OF WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS(WFPL)
The following is the New Year's message by SANHA LEE, President of WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS(WFPL).
My Honorable Fellow Citizens,
In 2023, a hopeful new year has dawned.
I wish all of our people and the entire global village to be filled with hope and energy in the New Year.
The past year has been difficult for all of us. Even though the new year has been bright, we are hardly getting away from difficulties.
In particular, due to high interest rates and high exchange rates in the post-COVID-19 era, private debt, including household debt and corporate debt, has soared, and even interest rates have soared. level is increasing.
The unlawful invasion of Ukraine by Russia continues to destroy lives through killing, and civilians, including the elderly, women, and children, are still increasing in number.
Tolerating devastating destruction only puts all of humanity at risk. The world must come together with one voice to ensure that an end to war is declared as soon as possible and that the promise of reconstruction and peace is fulfilled.
North Korea's missile and nuclear threats have also grown. The only thing that can be gained by carrying out continuous provocations while breaking the peace agreement is a crisis. Only understanding and empathy through dialogue can root peace throughout the two Koreas and lead to stability in Northeast Asia and world peace. It is a time when the political world desperately needs to make concerted efforts to resolve conflicts so that the two Koreas can approach a forum for dialogue and communication by upholding humanity.
My Honorable Fellow Citizens,
Division and conflict are not only inter-Korean issues caused by division, but are prevalent in Korean society and are issues of the era that need to be resolved. There are many ambushes in our society, from political conflicts to conflicts caused by generation, religion, academic background, region, gender, and the gap between the rich and the poor.
Efforts for coexistence must be the basis for a life in which everyone is equal and can coexist. We can expect tolerance, understanding, and miracles of healing where there is confrontation only when all the actors in society, corporations, and the nation seek ways to cooperate in solidarity.
My Honorable Fellow Citizens,
The most painful incident last year was the October 29 massacre in Itaewon. Although the new year has dawned, there are still bereaved families and people who have not been able to escape from the time when the entire nation was shocked. It is very pitiful to hear the cries of those who remain in the struggle between leaders who have no sense of responsibility and only come and go.
We mourn the people who lost their lives properly and hope that a sincere apology from those in charge and an investigation into the truth of the incident will be fully achieved. Only then will the wounds of the remaining people be healed and our society's sense of safety through the anti-face teacher will also stand upright.
The world has entered an economic recession due to high exchange rates, high interest rates, and unstable international situations. As domestic and foreign negative factors such as Corona 19 and war overlap, Korea is expected to grow in the 1% range this year. The job market froze sharply as negative factors such as falling asset prices, rising market debt, and financial stability crises piled on top of each other. This is expected to result in high unemployment and low employment rates.
Although there have always been voices demanding improvements in the economic and social position of workers, they are still considered as one of the social problems that need to be addressed, as opposed to the political and business world. The economic crisis is also derived from the local disappearance crisis problem. Unless there is a real countermeasure against this, the social cost we have to pay will inevitably increase astronomically.
Above all, it is important that social overhead capital flows into the provinces and resources are evenly distributed so that culture and administration are balanced. It will soon become a catalyst for revitalizing the local economy, and if the state takes the lead in dealing with the issue of population decline from an immediate and long-term perspective, it will become a driving force for national development from a macro perspective.
My Honorable Fellow Citizens,
Progress always presupposes promise and fulfillment. In particular, just as the ability to empathize is essential in the face of suffering of the people, fairness and common sense are the principles for the balanced development of a democratic society. Cartels with vested interests buried in specific interests are obstacles that break the balance of public services.
Our people are well aware that the claims of certain forces who have promised to touch people's lives and share their pain are nothing more than banal rhetoric to solidify their interests. While always talking about ‘destroying the vested interests’, the antinomy of the vested interests is a mockery of the people.
There has always been resistance from vested interests in front of various reforms for balanced development and coexistence. In order to usher in an era where ordinary people can live comfortably, when sincere practice of complying with the laws and principles of those with vested interests takes precedence, we can expect a bright future for the Republic of Korea.
My Honorable Fellow Citizens,
We have work to do for future generations. That is, as part of education policy, 'all citizens must work together to prevent and expel school violence' so that young students do not suffer from school violence.
Even after time passes, the damage of school violence, including verbal and physical violence, remains. The school site needs to look at whether students have been sacrificed in order to achieve political goals, so that children and teenagers who need to be protected have not been pushed out of the safe fence due to loopholes in the system.
Teachers are also often reported in the media as victims of a fall in teaching power, not the object of respect from students. Our society must work together to prevent and expel all violence inside and outside the education field.
Only when children are rescued from the mire of suffering and educational authority is restored and a healthy educational environment is created, can Korea be reborn as a country where excellent people can be nurtured and people live well.
Our people have always been strong in the face of crises. After overcoming the global financial crisis in 2008 following the foreign exchange crisis in the late 1990s, Korea has emerged as one of the ranks of developed countries that are influential in the world both in name and reality. The current difficulties can always be turned into opportunities if all members of society, including the people, the government, and businesses, work together to overcome the crisis.
I hope that the entire people will be able to unite and overcome the crisis in 2023 by using the potential of our people who are dynamic and sincere as a stepping stone. In addition, I hope that 2023 will be a year of great leap forward as the division and conflict are resolved and a foundation is laid for us to make strides again.
Jan. 2023
LEE, SANHA, PRESIDENT OF WORLD FEDERATION OF POWER LEADERS