By Diplomacy Journal Lee Jon-young

President Lee Jae-myung said on September 11, “In keeping with my promise to become a ‘President for All’ who embraces and serves every citizen, I will move forward with politics and administration of unity.”

During a press conference marking his 100th day in office held at the Blue House State Guest House, President Lee pledged, “From today until the final day of my term, I will devote myself entirely to building a ‘nation where the people are the masters, a Republic of Korea where we are all happy together.’”

President Lee reflected, “It has already been 100 days since I took office with the resolve to rebuild our nation from its foundations after it had collapsed,” adding, “If I were to briefly define the past 100 days, it was a ‘time for recovery and normalization.’”

He added, “Above all, restoring the people's livelihoods and the economy was urgent. We had to perform emergency CPR on our economy, weakened by prolonged domestic demand stagnation.”

He noted, “On my way here (to today's press conference), I checked the KOSPI index, which surpassed the 3,300 mark to hit an all-time high. The financial market, the core heart of the capital market, is recovering rapidly.”

President Lee said, “South Korean workers detained by U.S. immigration authorities in Georgia will be released at 3 p.m. (Seoul time), voicing concerns that Korean firms would be hesitant about U.S. investment due to the immigration raid.”

Lee stated, “The U.S. immigration raid on a Hyundai-LG battery plant would prompt Korean companies to be "very hesitant" about their potential decision to make direct investments in the U.S.”

Lee said the raid would have an impact on companies that plan to set up factories in the U.S. because they will be concerned about "disadvantageous" treatment by the U.S. authorities.

Regarding the ongoing negotiations to finalize a trade deal with Washington, Lee vowed that the government will work to ensure that the negotiations do not hamper the national interest, stressing he would not make "a backroom agreement."

A trade deal in late July reduced the U.S. tariffs to 15 percent in exchange for Seoul's US$350 billion investment pledge and other commitments, but the final agreement is still under negotiation.

"What appears on the surface of negotiations may seem rough, excessive, unreasonable, and irrational, but the final conclusion will be reached on a rational basis," Lee said.