Lee: "I’m sorry, but there is no choice"...Presidential aides log 62 hours of overtime a month

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung commented on February 20 on the heavy workload facing his presidential aides, stating, "I feel truly sorry for the presidential staff who are exposed to superhuman levels of overwork, but given that the Republic of Korea is effectively in a wartime situation, there is nothing we can do about it."
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) the same day, Lee wrote, "As I always say, one hour of a national public official’s time is worth 52 million hours," adding, "With the participation and encouragement of the people, we will soon achieve great results and usher in a stable era of peace."
Addressing his senior staff at the presidential office, he continued, "Comrades at the presidential office! The lives, rise and fall, and life and death of countless people depend on your ten minutes," and encouraged them by saying, "Even if it is exhausting, when in your short life will you ever again have time as meaningful as this? You, who possess such precious time, let us press on."
Along with this message, Lee shared a news article reporting that the average overtime per employee at the presidential office has reached a record high. The article noted that since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, staff at the presidential office have worked an average of 62.1 hours of overtime per month. It cited responses to domestic and international issues, as well as an increase in meetings and briefings, as reasons for the intensified workload.
west@fnnews.com Reporter Seong Seok-woo Reporter