President Lee: "If reforms are made too sharply, resistance grows stronger... A practical approach is needed"

[Financial News] President Lee Jae Myung said on the 25th, "When it comes to reform, speaking loudly and drawing a sharp line may earn praise, but it also strengthens resistance. It increases the pain." He added, "Not only is it difficult to achieve the goal, but even when the goal is reached, the sacrifice is great."
At the State Council meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae that day, Lee said, "That is why I believe we need a practical and effective approach."
Lee said, "Every new administration talks about reform. Usually, when the democratic and progressive camp takes power, there is a strong desire for reform." He continued, "But historically, once a revolutionary situation passes, there are many cases of so-called counterrevolution. There is backlash, revolutions fail, or after tremendous hardship, people push forward again."
He also stressed, "Reform is like peeling off skin. Changing society is even harder than changing an individual's life. To create new change, you must be able to endure the resistance of vested interests and the pain of existing stakeholders. Only then can a new order be created."
He then noted that, "Just like giving an injection, if it hurts, you need to comfort the person and administer it over time so that it hurts less," underscoring the need for a step-by-step approach.
As strong calls for sweeping reform grow among the ruling camp's core supporters, the remarks are being interpreted as a call for realistic solutions through persuasion and coordination rather than hardline rhetoric or clear-cut slogans. They are also seen as reflecting the view that reform can only be completed by minimizing backlash and social costs while securing institutional stability and visible results.
Lee cited medical reform as an example and said, "Not long ago, the public saw the whole country turned upside down because of medical reform under the previous government. In the end, nothing was accomplished." He added, "After the new government took office, Minister of Health and Welfare Jeong Eun-kyeong did a good job persuading people and taking the right approach, so much so that people may have wondered, 'Was there really a medical reform?' Yet the increase in medical school enrollment was carried out with little friction."
He also commented on the integration of KTX and SRT, which Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yun-duk reported on that day. "It is not an easy task. The working conditions are different, and the interests involved are complicated. How could it be easy to merge them in just a few months?" he said. "It was not simple, but they persuaded people well and achieved the integration without major disruption."
Lee urged, "I want to say that it is not about raising our voices or putting on an exaggerated show. We must remain truly humble, minimize the pain and resistance of many people, and still deliver results. Only on that basis can further change and reform become possible."
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun, Seong Seok-woo Reporter