Lee: "We must move quickly to normalize seven major irregularities, including illegal real estate deals, malicious tax delinquents, and stock price manipulation"

\r
[Financial News] In his opening remarks at a Senior Presidential Aides Meeting he chaired at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae (the Blue House) on the 6th, President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea stated, "We must move as quickly as possible to normalize seven major irregularities that have a significant impact on people’s daily lives: drug crimes, public-sector corruption, voice phishing, illegal real estate activities, large-scale malicious tax delinquencies, stock price manipulation, and serious industrial accidents." The president also instructed his aides to mobilize every available policy tool to minimize the impact on livelihoods amid growing external uncertainty, including the crisis in the Middle East.
Lee Jae Myung said that day, "We must mobilize all available policy instruments to minimize the impact that the situation in the Middle East could have on key areas of people’s livelihoods, such as finance, energy, and the real economy." He went on, "We must respond in a very strict and resolute manner to antisocial wrongdoing that seeks to reap unjust windfall profits by exploiting the community’s difficulties, such as price gouging on fuel." His remarks signaled a hard-line response to market-disrupting behavior, as perceived prices, including fuel costs, could become volatile in the face of external shocks.
He also spoke about restoring order at home. Lee said, "To overcome the waves of crisis coming from outside, our efforts to normalize the abnormal elements that exist within our own society must support us," adding, "We must put an end to this abnormal era in which breaking the rules brings gains, while following the rules actually leads to losses." He continued, "We need to firmly establish the perception that if you try to obtain unjust gains and get caught, you will suffer such severe economic losses that recovery is impossible, and you could see your life completely ruined."
The president also pointed to the effectiveness of how systems are operated. He noted, "Our institutional framework itself is already quite well established," but added, "There are many cases where these well-prepared systems do not operate properly or do not function sufficiently." He then said, "We must rigorously and fully enforce the systems we already have, and, if necessary, move quickly to improve them."
He also sent a message to the political community. Lee said, "This is a time when the responsible role of our politics is more important than ever," and appealed, "I earnestly ask that you join forces in politics that put the national interest ahead of private interests."
At the end of the meeting, Lee referred to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo and the Winter Paralympic Games, saying, "The Paralympics are relatively less well known, and given the recent international situation, there is a high possibility that public interest will be even lower." He added, "This is a time when we need the public’s attention so that our athletes can fully demonstrate their abilities."
west@fnnews.com Seong Seok-woo Reporter