South Korean President Lee reaffirms pledge to improve people's livelihoods

Seoul, Oct 7 (IANS) South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his pledge to focus on improving people's livelihoods, a day after the nation celebrated the Chuseok holiday.

"With a humble heart, I promise again that I will more carefully look after the people's present and the future of their livelihoods," Lee wrote on Instagram as he shared photos of himself and first lady Kim Hea Kyung in traditional Korean attire to mark the nation's fall harvest festival.

He said he would commit to such efforts even if it could mean putting important things on the line or risking finger-pointing and misunderstanding, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Lee's comments come as South Korea and the United States are currently undergoing tariff negotiations.

It also came after the main opposition People Power Party criticised his appearance last night on JTBC's cooking show "Please Take Care of My Refrigerator," where he promoted Korean cuisine.

The recording of the episode featuring Lee and his wife took place amid an outage of online government services due to a fire at a state data centre late last month.

On October 4, Myung and First Lady Kim Hea Kyung offered their greetings to the public on the second day of the extended Chuseok holiday, vowing utmost efforts to improve people's livelihoods.

In a video message, Lee said he feels a "heavy sense of responsibility" as the country celebrates this year's extended Chuseok holiday, the Korean fall harvest festival, from Friday to next Thursday.

"The Chuseok holiday is a time when we wish for abundance for the year and dream of a hopeful future, but the hardships facing people's livelihoods remain too great for us to be sharing only joy," he said.

Lee pledged his utmost efforts to help "every household live more prosperously" and ensure that the country's industries make a "vigorous leap forward."

"I am confident we will overcome all challenges, given our people's shared commitment and aspiration for a better tomorrow," he added.

--IANS

int/akl/sd