On June 3, 2025, Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party of Korea was elected as the 21st President of South Korea. The AsiaN is publishing the hopes and expectations of Koreans for the new president and administration in both Korean and English editions. We welcome the interest, feedback, and constructive criticism of our readers.
The AsiaN Editorial Team
By Shim Beom-seop,
Octogenarian farmer living and working at Dureongnong, a small rural community near Seoul
SEOUL: Upon hearing the news of your election as President, I write to offer both my congratulations and a heartfelt wish.
“Please be the zelkova tree standing beyond the village gate. Even better, become the kind village elder who offers shade to others.”
This morning, I received a text message from the Asia Journalist Association. It read: “You’re going to vote, right? Think of your children and grandchildren who will live in Korea 10, 50, 100 years from now.” It was a moving, warm, and inspiring reminder of why voting matters.
To President-elect Lee Jae-myung, chosen by all of us, I offer my warmest congratulations. After celebrating quietly with my family and neighbors, I wanted to extend my greetings as a citizen of this nation. Korea belongs to us all. It is our shared community.
“I am a farmer whose teachers are the fields, mountains, rivers, and open plains.”
I live and work in a small rural valley. All I know is the farmland before my shed, and the mountains, rivers, and fields that embrace our village. My thoughts, too, are as simple and natural as the plants, trees, and insects that grow around me. And so, my words of congratulation may be rough or clumsy. I hope you will accept them with a generous heart.
To say “please become the zelkova tree beyond the village gate” is a humble and affectionate phrase we often use in the countryside. If it sounds overly simple, I ask for your understanding. But behind those words lies the warm hope of us farmers.
“Even the phrase ‘wild and unruly’ contains the wisdom of plants.”
What city people call weeds, we farmers see as precious life. These plants follow the will of the heavens and the earth, silently growing roots and extending their stems. Sometimes, they even offer themselves as food to sustain other lives. In them, we see the quiet philosophy of those who live as stewards of the earth.
With this in mind, I would like to offer the President a “wooden carrier stick” — a tool used to balance a load on one’s back. It supports the body as a cane, and at times serves as a firm prod to awaken one’s focus. I hope these words will not just be a congratulatory message, but a kind of stick the President may carry with him on his journey — something to recall and reflect on when needed.
“On the night of December 3rd, I woke to the sound of the Constitution trembling.”
That night, I was shaken to witness the very center of our nation — the Constitution — being disrupted. I was stunned to see someone, referred to as a ‘public servant,’ brazenly shake the foundation that fifty million citizens built together. As the elders in our village would say, “Can such recklessness still be called human?”
In nature, no tree or blade of grass lives for itself. They gather the will of the sky and the earth, transforming it into sustenance for all living things. We consider them our teachers and strive to live accordingly. I sincerely hope the President, too, will embrace such a spirit of servant leadership.
“Have you heard of Nicoya, the village that tells the story of a better world?”
Recently, I read a book that left a strong impression on me — written by ecologist Jason Hickel. He argues that “less is more” and raises fundamental questions about capitalism and GDP-centered lives. Sitting under the shade tree in front of my farm hut, I read it slowly over several days, underlining passage after passage.
The book introduced the village of Nicoya in Costa Rica, a community that drew the attention of researchers from Stanford University. Though poor, its people had longer life expectancy and higher happiness levels than the national average. The reason was simple: they lived like one big family, calling one another brother, uncle, aunt, or younger sibling.
It reminded me of the animistic worldview we once lived by — where people, nature, and the village existed as one. That realization deeply moved me.
“A good president, above all, must be a good person.”
I believe that good ideas come from good people. I trust President-elect Lee will strive to build a strong welfare state and lead a government that embraces the marginalized. And I hope that such ideals are not just words, but become real and tangible.
A world where people can live with dignity. A president who, like a great zelkova tree, provides shade to the weary under the scorching sun. That is the kind of leader I dream of as I close this letter.
Thank you for taking a moment out of your busy day to read the words of this farmer. I sincerely hope that you will become a truly successful President.
