Lee to expand YouTube outreach despite social media controversy; 'The President's Y' premieres

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung said on the 5th, in the first episode of the YouTube program 'The President's Y,' that he intends to expand direct communication with the public despite controversy surrounding social media and live broadcasts of State Council meetings.
President Lee reportedly said on the program that he gets updates not included in reports and policy ideas through social media, and stressed the need for reasonable debate and discussion. He also explained that quoting publicly posted critical comments was intended as a way to show the public opposing views through dialogue.
He also said it would be difficult to accept calls to verify the backgrounds of everyone who wrote posts he had quoted. In response to criticism that he was trapped in an algorithm, he countered that he also reads condemning and critical comments. He also indicated that he believes the information provided by traditional media alone is not enough, and that direct communication with the public has helped sustain his political survival.
Regarding the public release of State Council meetings, he explained that it is a means of allowing the public to see how government decisions are made. He said side effects such as errors in statistical wording were at a tolerable level and that live broadcasts would continue. He reportedly added that he would consider holding unannounced live broadcasts from the presidential office.
The previous day, Blue House Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communication Seong Ki-hong explained the channel: "(In addition to President Lee having held numerous press conferences and used social media since taking office,) this program was created to answer the public's questions and explain policies through YouTube, a new media platform." Former MBC announcer Son Jeong-eun will host the program, and videos of around 30 minutes are planned for release every two to three weeks.
However, debate continues over the one-sided nature of social media communication and the chilling effect on the media, after President Lee recently dismissed reports about housing prices as fake news. People Power Party lawmaker Park Hyeong-su criticized him on a radio program, saying, "Even now, social media is wasting the country's resources for no good reason. If YouTube is added too, won't the president end up speaking as if unilaterally imposing his own views on the public? Then (the waste of national resources) will intensify further."
[email protected] Seong Seok-woo Reporter