'Rooted in selfishness to monopolize reform achievements,' he says

President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a senior secretaries meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a senior secretaries meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung warned Sunday night that "the agitation of irresponsible extremists — so-called 'mugeukpa' — who mislead the public based on falsehoods or without even a minimum of evidence, is spreading like a trend."

Lee made the remarks on his X account, formerly Twitter, saying that "whether on the left or the right, whether at the front or the rear, irresponsible extremism must be kept in check everywhere."

"Those in positions of authority and responsibility must act and be accountable for results, rather than simply making claims," Lee said. He criticized reckless assertions and baseless agitation, saying such behavior "often stems not from concern for the people or the country, but from selfishness — a desire to stand out and monopolize the achievements of reform."

He added that in an era of post-truth, blind factional rivalry has become the norm and "whose side you're on" matters more than the truth itself, making it possible for "asserting, speculating and agitating without even checking basic facts to look like competence." He said, however, that "ultimately, society will return to one where reason operates on the basis of facts."

Lee did not specify what he meant by "mugeukpa" or "reckless claims." Some observers interpret the remarks as a veiled reference to pushback from hard-line supporters within the ruling camp over the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as head of the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.

The nomination had already sparked open discord within the ruling bloc. Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min, speaking at a press conference Friday outside the Seoul Prosecution Service, criticized the nominee as someone "who has opposed prosecution reform," adding that Kim had held a press conference against reducing prosecutors' investigative powers and had even publicly vowed to file a constitutional dispute over jurisdiction.

Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ju-min said on a radio program that he would "speak out if the person is unfit to uphold principles, saying the appointment would be inappropriate." Fellow Democratic Party lawmaker Yun Geon-yeong also appeared on the YouTube channel "Kim Eojun's News Factory" and said flatly, "I'm simply opposed. I think we should oppose it." Both Park and Yun sit on the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, which handles the nomination issue.

Cheong Wa Dae has in effect begun the appointment process by sending a confirmation hearing request to the National Assembly. Lee had previously signaled his determination to push ahead — saying Wednesday that "forceful arguments made while knowing they are false constitute obstruction of state affairs," on Thursday that "if we are to discard everyone with a prosecutorial background, what would become of Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Park Eun-jeong and Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sung-yoon, who are also former prosecutors," and on Friday that "it would be difficult to conclude, at minimum, that he is pro-Yoon."


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