Welcome to POSTECH!
I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations and a very warm welcome to the newest members of the POSTECH community!
I also wish to extend my deep appreciation to the parents for having brought up and fostered these wonderful students with such loving care and support.   
Today is a momentous occasion that officially initiates you as an undergraduate or graduate student at POSTECH, which will become another home away from home for you for the coming years. POSTECH was founded in 1986 as the first ever research-oriented university in Korea with a vision of becoming a world-class research institution and a great place for learning where inspired students can learn from inspiring professors. All our members have been assiduously working toward this vision with devoted efforts for the past 28 years, and will continue to do so to become a world-leading university in the coming decades. I would like you to engrave upon your heart this clear, unshakable vision of POSTECH. Also, remember the fact in that we, Postechians, are here to make a positive difference in the world and serve the nation and humanity. Now as honorable members of POSTECH, I urge you to take pride in this vision and our commitment because they lie at the very heart of what it means to be a true Postechian.  
My beloved new Postechians!
You are here to pursue studies and career paths in science and engineering, but the concrete goals and visions must be as varied as you are. It is my sincere wish that during your time on this campus you dream lofty dreams, crystallize your goals and build a strong foundation to propel yourself to become a global leader in 20-30 years after graduation from POSTECH. Today I would like to share some of my thoughts with you on how to prepare yourself for professional success and making meaningful contributions.   
First, do not become complacent and satisfied with the fact that you have been admitted into POSTECH. Your admission to POSTECH in itself neither guarantees nor leads to the success and happiness in life; your life will be determined by how you spend your time at POSTECH and what to make out of it. While you are at POSTECH, please develop a global perspective and an understanding of different viewpoints and cultures, and with much humble gratitude, further your dreams and prepare for a greater leap forward.
Second, only when you ask for it, seek for it, and knock on it, will the door of opportunity be open to you. Unlike your high school days when you were constrained by various regulations and limitations, you are now set free to explore opportunities that suit your interests, to indulge in your passions, and even to initiate new possibilities for yourself. Such freedom, however, comes with a great responsibility. You have the responsibility to control yourself against temptation and act with reason, the responsibility to create opportunities on your own for your intellectual and personal growth both inside and outside the classroom, and the responsibility to proactively take full advantage of your surroundings, of the people who want to help you succeed, and of what they have to offer.  
This brings me to my next point, which is to devote yourself to developing competence and expanding knowledge because your talents and capacities can be further developed and enlarged with your concerted efforts. I urge all of you to build a strong intellectual, ethical foundation with an upright moral character, on which basis you are to accumulate your English and Korean competence as well as communication and interpersonal skills and to broaden your horizons to include leadership and entrepreneurship.    
In particular, I would like to call upon our new graduate students to understand the purpose of your graduate studies. You are the ones who will, and should, make leading contributions to the development of the nation’s science and engineering and take them to a next level of excellence in the international arena. Please use your graduate years to passionately and tenaciously challenge your limits and learn actively from your mistakes and failures to develop yourself into an independent scholar and a science and engineering professional. Your creative, innovative mind should never be lost but rediscovered every moment in keeping abreast of the latest developments in academia, in extending the boundaries of your thinking, and in seeking collaborative research opportunities beyond your laboratory or field.
Finally, my last but most important piece of advice for you is to have a sense of engagement with and obligation toward others. I envision all of you becoming scientists and engineers who hold the highest ethical standards and exemplary characters; you will put yourselves in service of others beyond yourself and your circle of loved ones. Starting here at POSTECH, I encourage you to seize opportunities within your grasp to serve the communities, both near and far, because these are the very opportunities for you to motivate yourself and grow your dreams, to grow your knowledge and skills, and to grow yourself as a human being.   
My proud Postechians!
It would be a great honor and privilege for POSTECH to watch you reach for your ambitious dreams and visions and mature into full-fledged, outstanding leaders shining brightly on the global stage. On behalf of our faculty, staff, and all other members of POSTECH, I promise that we will do our best in supporting you and your dreams. Serving as your role models, we will strive to set an example of practicing integrity and pursuing excellence and help you unlock your unlimited potential and drive yourself forward with passion. I wish that all of you enjoy your new life at POSTECH to the fullest and make it a truly special one - the one you will always carry in your memories.          
In closing, I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Hong-June You, the most renowned and distinguished Korean art historian, for taking his precious time to come to this occasion. Dr. You will be sharing words of encouragement and wisdom with us on the importance of cultural heritage.   
Once again, congratulations to new Postechians and best wishes for your future.
Thank you.