Newly inaugurated Segye Ilbo President, Han Gyu Jo states, "I will make an strongly upright, brand-name, newspaper of smiles"

The 14th inauguration ceremony was held for Segye Ilbo President Han Gyu Jo on January 10th in the Uni Hall of the Segye Ilbo and was attended by about 300 guests consisting of foreign and domestic VIPs and headquarter employees.

President Jo laid out in his inaugural address that he would “create a ‘strongly upright (强正)’ newspaper that returns to the strength of its founding mindset, a ‘brand-name newspaper’ that has integrity and good content, and a ‘newspaper of smiles that brings joy and hope to readers’ families.”

President Jo emphasized how by taking the stance of “cooperation(同心), agreement(同意) and companionship(同行) he will take full responsibility in awakening not only Korea, but the world with ‘collective intelligence’ for the success of ‘Vision 2020’ implemented by Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon, the Head of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification.

A farewell ceremony was also held today for the former president, Byeong Su Kim. The farewell and

inaugural ceremonies were attended by Saenuri Party assemblymen including Gyeong Pil Nam, Yu Cheol Won, Hae Jin Jo, Dong Yeol Yeom, Yong Gyo Seo and Sang Il Lee, Democratic Party assemblymen Se Gyun Jeong, Yun Geun Wu, Tae Nyeon Kim, and Hyundai Oil Bank President Oh Gap Kwon and other business people.

Tongil Group members that graced us with their presence include Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Korea President Chang Shik Yang, Korean Cultural Foundation Director Bo Hi Pak, former Family Federation for World Peace and Unification Korea President, Young Hwi Kim, World Mission Federation Vice-president Peter Kim, Tongil Group Chairman No Hi Pak, Tongil Group Secretary- General Jong Kwan Kim, Sun Moon University President Sun Jo Hwang.

Tongil Group Chairman No Hi Pak encouraged the newly appointed President Han Gyu Jo with an inaugural congratulatory speech.

Distinguished guests from Korea and abroad

I would like to extend my gratitude on behalf of the entire Tongil Group for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the inaugural and farewell ceremonies for Segye Ilbo Presidents here today with us.

With the passing of hot summer, the season of inheritance, autumn, the season fall with its harvests is already upon us, and the ripening grains in the field create an atmosphere of there

being more than enough for everyone.

On this day we would like to extend a farewell to President Byeong Su Kim who has bore a heavy burden as president of the Segye Ilbo working hard in a difficult environment to overcome, and would like to extend a congratulations to President Han Gyu Jo who has laid the cornerstone for the development of the Segye Ilbo as a member of the Segye Ilbo family since its founding.

The exiting President Byeong Su Kim worked at Segye Ilbo from 2003 until this year, and though it was a rather short tenure as president he will be much missed for everything he did for the development of the company and we wish him all the best in his next responsibility.

During his tenure the Yongsan building underwent renovations and operations had to be temporarily moved to Geumcheon-gu which resulted in various challenges with printing the paper. Despite the difficulties, Byeong Su Kim reversed the chronic losses into profits, and devoted himself to strategies for stabilizing management. He wanted to create a turning point for the newspaper and moved the headquarters to current Jongro-gu Newspaper Street location writing a new history for the “Gwanghwamun Era of Segye Ilbo.” President Byeong Su Kim! We sincerely thank you for your dedication to your work and offer you our deepest sympathies on your farewell.

Han Gyu Jo who is being inaugurated today has founded the Campus Times, engaging various press activities in support of student movements, then joined the Segye Ilbo where he twice served as the head of the political department, after he took up a stint as editorial writer before becoming Vice-President founding Sportsworld greatly contributing to the development of Segye Ilbo before leaving Segye Ilbo in 2006 to work outside for a while in politics, and economic broadcasting broadening his horizons through taking part in activities in various fields before being selected as President. I think his diverse experience and knowledge helped him grow to become the champion that can lead a revival for the Segye Ilbo, and it is my pleasure to welcome him as the new CEO.

As the Group Chairman who oversees the Segye Ilbo Founded by Reverend Sun Myung Moon and all of the business foundations, I am compelled to speak about the mission of the founder of the Segye Ilbo.

As many of you may know Reverend Sun Myung Moon was a ‘great religious leader’ who founded a religious sect in Korea based on a special mission he received from God and worked globally developing Korea.

The Unification Church founded by Reverend Moon was seen as the only religious sect out of new religions founded in the 20th century to have developed so large in size and so evenly across the world by a Harvard School of Theology Comparative Religion Textbook.

But, Reverend Moon did not just consider religious sects, but lived his entire life transcending race and national borders for the establishment of lasting salvation and world peace. That is why Reverend Moon though all fields were relevant for the salvation of mankind and took interest in them and invested in them encouraging the coverage of the full spectrum.

Amidst all of this he particularly took a keen interest in the media, social education, and the world peace movement, and invested much into these areas. The landmark example being the founding of the conservative ‘Washington Times’ daily newspaper in the Capital of the United States, Washington D.C. which supported the foreign policy of America leading to the collapse of the Berlin Wall during the Reagan Administration and liberating the Russian Empire. It will always be remembered in history that Reverend Moon contributed greatly to ending the ‘Cold War.’

Reverend Moon knew the power of the media more than anyone else and founded the Segye Ilbo in Japan, as well as in Korea and in South America with the Noticias del Mundo Which means Segye Ilbo and in doing so he displayed the education of true family values, and presented the realization of the path of a just society and contributed to the world peace movement.

In 1989 Reverend Moon founded the Segye Ilbo with the slogan of Love God, Love Mankind, and Love Your Country, and through the peaceful unification of a divided North and South Korea sparing nothing for missions that include encouraging Korea to become the ‘land of reasonable argument for the unification of the fatherland,’ ‘land of education for the enhancement of national spirit,’ and ‘land that can lead a moral society.’ Reverend Moon wished the Segye Ilbo could be the spearhead of the Unification Movement, but sadly last year in 2012 he had his Seonghwa Ceremony and today we feel a great void Panaroma view of the Segye Ilbo Building on the Day of with his passing, and at this time of the Inauguration memorial, feel an emptiness in our hearts.

I thought about what Reverend Moon would ask us to do if here were here with us today. He might have spoken like this to the newly inaugurated President.

“The Segye Ilbo is a newspaper that informs people about the will of God and heavenly opportunities. Educate yourself to be loyal to the will of heaven and resolve the history of a failed chosen people. And purify the mental history of this people to place unity where there was once division, harmony where there was once conflict, governing lawlessness with justice overcoming the heart of true love so they can become a people that establish lasting peace and unification of the fatherland. And be sure Segye Ilbo is at the forefront of those works.”

Distinguished guests from Korea and abroad, all employees of the Segye Ilbo

Today’s press, the internet is proving to be the foundation that ushers in an era of new media where it is either sink or swim when it comes to innovation. The same goes for Segye Ilbo. Now we have entered the ‘Gwanghwamun Era,’ with a Segye Ilbo that is at the center of politics, economy, and the press and so I ask all employees to unite and devote themselves so that the Segye Ilbo can become the newspaper loved by the people by making effort to manage the work of many by oneself, offer more accurate reports, more in-depth, expert interpretations, and fun and unique information about everyday life.

I would like to end my congratulatory speech by entreating President Han Gyu Jo who is being inaugurated with this new responsibility to take up this burden and revive the Segye Ilbo. Thank you.