President Lee Jae-myung on Monday accused politicians and media organizations of committing "treasonous" acts by harming the national interest for personal gain.
"Those who damage national interests for their own greed are called traitors," Lee wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "Such treasonous acts are openly committed even in politics and journalism, fields whose mission is to pursue the public interest including national interests."
The president noted that many who engage in such conduct either fail to recognize it as wrongdoing or knowingly proceed regardless.
"This is ultimately a national task we must collectively teach and overcome—a task of normalizing the abnormal," he said.
Lee emphasized that sovereignty of nations and universal human rights must be respected, while wars of aggression must be rejected.
"This is the spirit of our Constitution and international common sense," he said. "Putting oneself in another's shoes applies not only to individuals but also to relations between nations. Others' lives and property are just as precious as one's own."
He concluded: "You must show respect to receive respect."
The president's remarks appeared to characterize claims by opposition parties and some media outlets as "treasonous acts for personal gain," framing his position around the principles of national sovereignty and universal human rights.
