President Lee Jae Myung vowed on Friday to build a nation where the state shares the responsibility of parents and cares for their well-being in old age. He made the pledge in a Facebook post and at a ceremony in Seoul to mark Parents' Day.
Lee posted the message on Facebook to mark Parents' Day. He wrote that he learned as a father of two that a parent "carries the worlds" of their children on his or her back.
"The more we lessen the burdens of life that are placed on parents' shoulders, the more the Republic of Korea can step forward to become a truly advanced nation," he said. He added that the administration will expand practical support so the state and community jointly take responsibility for raising children.
Lee listed plans including local community care services, 1.15 million jobs for the elderly and a revised pension system. He later attended a Parents' Day ceremony at the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry headquarters in Seoul. There he pinned carnations on parents of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duty and said he would remember their sacrifices "with a heavy heart."
