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Top office marks first Chuseok with gift sets for veterans, vulnerable groups

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 17:31

President Lee Jae Myung’s 2025 Chuseok gift set [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Lee Jae Myung celebrated his first Chuseok in office by sending gifts to a wide range of recipients, expressing hopes for national unity and economic recovery, the presidential office said on Tuesday.

Recipients include contributors to national development, war veterans, families of disaster victims and socially vulnerable groups. The gifts also go to families of workers who died in industrial accidents, the presidential office added.

This year’s package consists of a presidential watch, seafood from Korea’s eight provinces and rice from regions affected by natural disasters.

The exclusive watch bears the inscription, “One hour of the president equals the 52 million hours of the people,” symbolizing Lee's commitment to national governance.

Seafood items such as shrimp, dried seaweed, sea salt, kelp, dried squid and sea mustard were sourced from the Yellow Sea, South Sea, East Sea, Jeju and Gangwon. The selection reflects Korea’s vision of “a country reaching out to the world in the era of the Arctic sea route,” the office said.

The gift set also includes rice from Uiseong, North Gyeongsang, which was hit by a massive wildfire in March. The inclusion of the rice is meant to comfort affected residents and show support for regional recovery.

“As we celebrate Chuseok, I hope the sweat and effort of everyone bear fruit and warmth fills our society," Lee said in his message. "I will do my utmost to build a country where we live together and people are happy.”

This year’s Chuseok holiday runs from Oct. 5 to 7, with the main day on Oct. 6, linking National Foundation Day on Oct. 3 and Hangul Day on Oct. 9 to create a longer holiday period for many.

National Foundation Day, observed on Oct. 3, commemorates the legendary founding of the first Korean kingdom, Gojoseon (2333 B.C. to 108 B.C.), by Dangun. Hangul Day celebrates the creation of the Korean alphabet by King Sejong in the 15th century and is dedicated to promoting the significance of Korea’s writing system.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]