Opportunities will be equal. The procedures will be fair. The result will be just. - Moon Jae-in

Wherever they are around the world, Koreans are shining stars in their chosen fields. We have fostered hopes and built our strength to recover while trusting, relying on and longing to be with each other. I extend my profound respect and gratitude to our overseas Koreans, the delegation of Korean community leaders and those who rendered distinguished service to Koreans abroad for uniting as one and shining all the more brightly even amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Korea is an exemplary testament to the value of democracy. Although having lived through colonial rule and a war, we have grown while complying with international free trade norms and become the first developing country to ascend to the ranks of advanced economies in tandem with progress in democracy. Every time authoritarianism suppressed the Korean people, they protected democracy and moved it forward through peaceful civil revolutions. Korea will build on this experience and contribute to global democracy.

One of the biggest problems with this THAAD deployment decision was that it lacked democratic procedure, and it has resulted in a wide division of the nation and aggravated foreign relations. If the South Korean government were to push this issue further, it would only make matters worse, and it would be more difficult to find a solution to this problem. I hope the U.S. government will fully consider these issues.