SEOUL, Nov. 5 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday commended the South Korean team's No. 2 finish at this year's WorldSkills Competition, calling human skills a matter of national competitiveness and pledging support to nurture the field.
The president made the remarks at a lunch meeting with the Korean team, which finished second at the 48th WorldSkills Competition, held in Shanghai in September. The biennial competition is regarded as the world's largest vocational skills event.
"If skills are a matter of South Korea's competitiveness, you, the young talent who will develop these skills, are our country's future," Lee told the national team.
"The government will work toward making a society in which more young people can fulfill their dreams through skills and those with exceptional skills can receive the recognition and respect befitting of their talent," the president added.
He cited those who cultivated and accumulated vocational skills as a major reason for South Korea's development into a global manufacturing powerhouse, urging the national team to pursue bigger dreams.
President Lee Jae Myung makes a toast during a lunch meeting on Nov. 5, 2026, at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul with the South Korean team, which finished second at this year's 48th WorldSkills Competition, held in Shanghai in September. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
President Lee Jae Myung makes a toast during a lunch meeting on Nov. 5, 2026, at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul with the South Korean team, which finished second at this year's 48th WorldSkills Competition, held in Shanghai in September. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)