President Lee: "Even necessary reforms must be pursued prudently... we must minimize conflict"

On the 9th, President Lee Jae Myung said, "Even when pursuing necessary reforms, we must be careful not to end up condemning everyone across the board and treating all as targets of reform, like burning down the house to catch a bedbug," adding, "Whether it is prosecutorial reform, labor and economic reform, media reform, judicial reform, or any other kind of reform, that is how it should be in my view." His remarks are being interpreted as a call for a more cautious approach to the reforms currently being pushed by the ruling camp.
That day, President Lee posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) titled "Reform is often better served by surgical correction," writing, "To solve a problem, we must accurately identify its causes and clearly distinguish between what is problematic and what is not."
President Lee stated, "We must remove the problems and hold those responsible strictly to account, while minimizing situations in which the many unrelated members lose their motivation or are hurt," and stressed, "No matter how difficult the reform, we must never give it up; at the same time, to minimize the wounds and conflicts caused by reform, we must be extremely, extremely careful."
He went on, "I ask for your understanding that this is the result of my own deliberation on how to carry out smoothly the two tasks that are hard to reconcile—national unity and reform," adding, "It is said that reform is harder than revolution."
Earlier, on the 7th, President Lee had written on X, "Even if one becomes president and the ruling power, one cannot and must not do everything at will." His latest post is being seen as a renewed emphasis on the principle that reforms must be pursued in a realistic and practical manner.
As President Lee repeatedly stresses the coexistence of "unity and reform," political observers suggest that he may be voicing concern over the growing influence of hardline lawmakers in the ruling bloc in a series of reforms, including prosecutorial reform. There also appears to be an underlying awareness that if, in this process, the government's reform plans are repeatedly revised within the ruling party into versions that are "tougher and more hardline," it could not only sap the government's authority but also escalate into conflict between the ruling party and the presidential office, ultimately undermining the momentum for reform.
In fact, when the government previously drafted bills to establish the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Office, it initially planned to create a dual personnel structure at the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, with investigation judicial officers and professional investigators. However, facing opposition from the ruling party, it revised the plan to a single-track structure and reissued the draft for public notice. Even so, some within the ruling party, particularly among those serving as a member of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, continue to argue that the revised bill is still insufficient.
At the same time, there are concerns that if reforms are pushed forward while listening only to one side, the overarching premise of "reform for the entire public" could be shaken, and in the long run, the overall pace of the reform drive could slow. Many in political circles interpret President Lee's remarks as an attempt to soothe hardliners within the ruling camp with these considerations in mind.
cjk@fnnews.com Reporter Choi Jong-geun Reporter