Inaugural Ceremony to Be
Stage of National Integrity,
Reconciliation

Common people, foreign dignitaries to shine at event

Paek Sung-38, vice chairman for the preparatory committee for the presidential inaugural ceremony has revealed details for the Feb. 25 event with a focus on the proceedings and participants, both local and foreign. The event will run from 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 24, the eve of the ceremony, at Jongro, central Seoul, with the striking of the Boshingak bell at 12:15 a.m. on Feb. 25.
The main event will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon on Feb. 25 at the National Assembly. A congratulatory reception will be held at the central hall of the National Assembly in the afternoon, which will be followed by a gala dinner for guests at the Guest House of Cheong Wa Dae for two hours from 7:00 p.m. There will be a congratulatory performance at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts.
The inaugural ceremony will begin with remarks from the prime minister, followed by the taking of the oath of office and an inaugural statement from the new head of state.
Participants will bid farewell to the outgoing president while the new leader will make a march forward. We have yet to decide whether the new President will wear Korean style Hanbok or a western style suit during the ceremony. We are collecting opinions from netizens in this regard.
So far, some 1,000 netizens expressed their opinions with some 600 opting for Hanbok. Of particular note is that the younger generation has been preferring Hanbok.
We have already chosen the people who will take seats on the stage on behalf of all of the people. We selected them from those who gave hope, set a positive example, symbolize national integrity and regional harmony and contribute to the creation of jobs. The 70 representatives include Lee Dam-hyun from Namwon, North Jeolla Province, who expressed hope for becoming an international leader and Park Jong-boon, who works at the Seomun Market in Daegu.
Bereaved families of independence activists and the soldiers who died during the clash with the North Korean navy in the West Sea were also invited.
Representatives of small but strong companies and foreign-investing firms were invited in recognition of their contribution to the creation of jobs.
With the goal of publicizing the inauguration of the 17th president, we plan to have the inaugural preparatory chairman ring the bell together with representatives from 16 provinces and cities from across the nation. The participation of 17 members symbolizes the inauguration of the 17th president and the participants will strike the bell 33 times in accordance with the tradition.
People who will take part in the bell striking will include a representative of the Yeosu Expo from South Jeolla Province and an official who made a great contribution to inducing foreign investment in North Jeolla Province. A KIST student from Daejeon, which is renowned for the promotion of education, will also participate in the bell striking ceremony.
Special guests in front of the stage will include volunteers for the Taean oil spill cleanup and those who overcame physical handicaps. Others will include those who promoted peace and reconciliation between South and North Korea and members of the Peace Keeping Operation units of the United Nations. Some 12,000 people will be invited to the special seats.
Now let me talk about foreign guests invited to the ceremony. The largest number of foreign heads of state will participate in the ceremony. Uzbekistan's President Islam Karimov is set to participate along with the Presidents of Mongolia and Cambodia. Former heads of state include Abdul Kalam of India, Mahathir bin Mohamad of Malaysia, Bob Hawke of Australia, Nakasone Yasuhiro and Mosi Yoshiro of Japan. In addition, Russian Prime Minister Victor Jubkov and Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla will visit the nation to congratulate Lee on his inauguration.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir is now sick and has difficulties in making an overseas trip. But he decided to dare to attend the event by bringing along a medical team. High ranking government officials like U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will attend the ceremony.
Some 80 diplomatic dignitaries will also participate representing political, business, academic, cultural and sports sectors. Famous ethnic Korean U.S. footballer Hinds Ward will take part in the ceremony in his title as a Seoul citizen. In addition, some 120 lawmakers and business people from 10 countries like Japan, China and Spain will attend the event. nw

President Lee Myung-bak takes the oath of office as the 17th Chief of Executive during his inauguration ceremony held in front of the National Assembly Building in Seoul on Feb. 25.

President Lee Myung-bak acknowledges the applause of the participants of the presidential inauguration ceremony as he arrives at the platform. First Lady Kim Yoon-ok looks on with many foreign envoys attending the ceremony (at the background).

Tens of thousands of people, including Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and other foreigners, are on hand at the presidential ceremony at the National Assembly Plaza filled to capacity.