Lee Jae Myung used a prerecorded Chuseok message on Friday to thank essential workers and say he would look after every citizen regardless of differing views. Kim Hea Kyung closed the holiday greeting with a wish for viewers to share precious moments with those they love, even as Lee was abroad on a state visit to Mexico.
He said, “Though our places of residence, occupations and chosen paths may differ, we are united by our love for the country,” and added, “I will work even harder to ensure that every citizen’s life is illuminated brightly – regardless of their qualifications or conditions and whatever their opinions or thoughts.” The message was filmed at Sangchunjae on the grounds of the Blue House, with Lee and Kim appearing side by side in hanbok.
Sangchunjae and the Blue House
Lee opened by placing Chuseok in seasonal terms, saying, “An arduous summer of record-high temperatures has passed, and it is now Chuseok, a season when the fields and orchards are laden with ripe grains and fruit.” That framing kept the holiday message anchored in public service rather than ceremony, and it let him direct the focus to the workers who keep daily life moving.
He thanked workers who come out onto the streets before dawn and keep them clean for all of us, along with farmers and fishery workers. He also singled out service members, police officers, firefighters and medical professionals who work day and night protecting lives and preserving safety. For readers, the practical point is simple: the holiday message was built around labor that rarely gets public attention, not around partisan symbolism.
37 Percent and 56 Percent
A Gallup Korea poll conducted Sept. 15 to 17 put Lee’s approval rating at 37 percent and his disapproval rating at 56 percent. Those numbers complicate the message: he is asking for national unity and patience while carrying the weight of a public mood that is still skeptical, especially after complaints about housing policy and personnel appointments have topped the list of gripes.
Lee’s promise to care for citizens regardless of their views lands differently against that backdrop. The holiday video reads like an effort to widen the frame beyond political camps and into shared obligations, but the poll suggests the appeal still has to work against a sourer reading of his presidency.
Mexico City to Sunday
Lee flew to Mexico City on Wednesday from the United Nations General Assembly in New York, and the visit is the first state visit to Mexico by a Korean president in 16 years. He is due home Sunday, so the prerecorded message had to carry the holiday greeting while he was away, turning a domestic holiday ritual into part of a foreign-trip schedule.
Kim’s closing line kept the tone personal: “I wish you a wonderful Chuseok holiday and hope that you can reach out to those you miss and share precious moments of happiness with those you love.” That is the clearest read on the message’s purpose — a short, polished appeal for unity at a moment when the numbers say the public is still judging whether Lee can deliver it.
