Lee's remarks on “foreign workers and multicultural families” draw backlash from progressives; Blue House mounts vigorous defense

[Financial News] On the 29th, the Blue House moved to address the controversy over President Lee Jae-myung’s remarks about foreign workers and multicultural families, saying, “Please consider the context and substance of the remarks rather than focusing on specific words.”
In a press notice that day, Kang Yoo-jung, the Blue House’s senior presidential spokesperson, explained that Lee’s remarks on labor and jobs at a Cabinet meeting were not primarily about foreign workers, but pointed to the low level of support for workers in agriculture and fisheries. “The main point was that we need to create quality, productive jobs in agriculture and fisheries that guarantee decent wages,” Kang said.
Regarding a social media post about multicultural families, Kang explained, “This is not about eliminating support for multicultural families. It raises the need to improve the support system by making priority access to postpartum care centers fairer and more reasonable, so that all families welcoming a child can agree with it.”
Earlier, at a Cabinet meeting on the 27th, President Lee said that foreign workers’ remittances of their wages overseas meant they did not contribute much to the national economy. The following day, he shared a post from the online community FM Korea criticizing preferential treatment at postpartum care centers for mothers from multicultural families, and said he would consider the need to abolish the preferential system, among other measures. Labor and civic groups criticized the remarks, saying they could deepen discrimination and exclusion.
Blue House aides also began defending the president on social media the previous day. On the 28th, Ryu Deok-hyeon, an aide to the president for fiscal planning, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “There are points worth considering in the concerns about some of the wording, but it is not appropriate to take the remarks out of context and turn them into a controversy over xenophobia.” The point, he explained, was that policy should be changed to respect foreign workers’ contributions while also expanding Korean workers’ participation in agricultural jobs.
Social Affairs Senior Secretary Kim Gyeong-ja also posted twice that day, outlining President Lee’s previous directives, including a firm response to the abuse of foreign workers and consideration of deferring their departure until unpaid wages are settled. “President Lee’s respect for labor knows no nationality,” Kim said. “I will work to ensure that the president’s true intent—to create a fair working environment for all workers—is properly carried out.”
Population Policy Secretary Im Ho-geun also explained on the 29th why the criteria for postpartum care center support are being revised. The aim is to review the standards with local governments so that mothers with greater needs receive access first, while ensuring that multicultural families also receive all the support they need.
[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter