President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the importance of direct communication with citizens through anonymous online communities and social media. His remarks on October 29 were seen as a rebuttal to criticism regarding his citation of a post from the conservative community ‘Efem Korea’.
On the platform X (formerly Twitter), President Lee posted a message titled ‘There are people in the back alleys,’ stating, “Whether in a shabby back alley or within anonymous communities and social media, there are always citizens.”
He explained that as president, who has the responsibility and authority to serve the nation and its people, he can meet influential figures in formal settings or engage with ordinary citizens in less visible places.
President Lee stressed that there are various ways to understand reality and communicate with the public. He noted that while one can gather information through official reports and representatives, it is also possible to connect with the world through anonymous communities and constant electronic messages.
“I can report to the public indirectly through press conferences, but I can also communicate directly via social media,” he said, adding that neither method should be dismissed as inherently good or bad.
He reiterated that direct communication with citizens in back alleys or on social media is one of the important duties that elected representatives must not neglect. “Whether they are influential figures or powerless citizens, all are the sovereign people of South Korea whom I must serve,” he stated.
This statement came after President Lee shared a post from Efem Korea regarding preferential treatment for multicultural families in postpartum care facilities, which sparked controversy. The post questioned the fairness of including multicultural family mothers in the same reservation priority as national merit recipients and bereaved families.
In his post, President Lee indicated that he would discuss the necessity of preferential treatment for multicultural families and the potential abolition of such policies with local governments, including reviewing amendments to enforcement decrees. This led to criticism that his comments could incite discrimination against multicultural families, alongside backlash from some supporters regarding his citation of the conservative community.
The Blue House clarified that the president's remarks aimed to enhance the fairness and rationality of the priority system for postpartum care facilities. Im Ho-geun, the population policy secretary, stated that they would review amendments to the maternal and child health law enforcement decree to ensure that benefits are prioritized for mothers in greater need while preventing any gaps in support for multicultural families.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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