South Korea's new President Lee Jae-myung sought to project a message of unity as he took office on Wednesday in a country wracked by political division since a short-lived martial law declaration in December. "No matter whom you supported in this election, I will serve as a president for all, to embrace and serve every citizen," Lee said during his swearing-in ceremony at the National Assembly. He also pledged to reinvigorate the nation's economy and pursue policies that help ordinary people, both at home and abroad. His declaration comes as multiple national and international organizations, including the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are downgrading growth forecasts for the South Korean economy. The OECD this week predicted only a 1% GDP growth in 2025. "It is time to restore security and peace, which have been reduced to tools of political strife, to rebuild livelihoods and the economy damaged by indifference, incompetence and irresponsibility, and to revive democracy that has been undermined by armored vehicles and automatic rifles," Lee said. The reference to vehicles and weapons is a barb against his predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, who was removed from office and is still on trial for briefly declaring martial law six months ago. While the move sparked outrage across the country, some members of the military, the Presidential Security Service (PSS) and sections of the public sided with Yoon before his eventual arrest.