President Lee Jae-myung has launched a head-on response to the diplomatic controversy surrounding the Middle East war, reiterating "universal human rights" while rallying internal unity.
As the Korean economy, which had found growth momentum, has been hampered by the Middle East conflict, analysts say the president is comforting affected citizens while highlighting principled peace messages to strengthen Korea's international standing. President Lee called for "thorough preparation" in addressing domestic issues including real estate, industrial restructuring, and tax normalization, along with a "firm emergency response system."
At a Cabinet meeting and emergency economic review session held at the Blue House on January 14, President Lee emphasized "universal human rights" once again, stating: "I urge the warring parties to take courageous steps toward the peace the world desperately desires, based on the principle of protecting universal human rights and the lessons of history."
This marks a notable shift from previous messages limited to social media, as the president has now spoken directly at an official state meeting.
The SNS controversy began on January 10 when President Lee directly shared a battlefield video from the Israel Defense Forces, drawing backlash from Israel's Foreign Ministry and criticism from the opposition People Power Party for inappropriately posting on a diplomatically sensitive matter.
In response, President Lee posted on X that it would be "disappointing if one couldn't reflect on the criticisms from people around the world" (January 11) and emphasized "universal human rights and each nation's sovereignty" (January 12). At 12:21 a.m. on January 14, he indirectly criticized the opposition's offensive, writing: "Obsessing over family squabbles while preparing to side with Martians invading Earth."
Unlike his SNS messages, by articulating universal human rights at the Cabinet meeting, President Lee has effectively clarified the government's foreign policy stance. Lee Kyu-jung, a research professor at Korea University's Department of Political Science and International Relations, assessed: "Unlike SNS, presidential remarks at official state meetings serve as directives for the entire government. This officially declares that the war is anti-human rights and violates international law."
President Lee's X post stating "Shouldn't we save the Earth first?" and "Those giving advice as if they're masters while only playing Go at an amateur level—advice is fine, but don't flip the board" is interpreted as containing a message of internal unity. He emphasized that bipartisan cooperation and national solidarity are paramount amid the economic crisis caused by the Middle East war.
President Lee stated regarding the Middle East situation: "We must accelerate efforts to improve the vulnerabilities in our economic and industrial structure revealed during the war," adding, "I hope we can pursue alternative supply chain development, mid-to-long-term industrial restructuring, and achieving a plastic-free economy as top national priority projects."
He emphasized: "We must firmly establish an emergency response system, treating continued difficulties in global energy and raw material supply chains and high oil prices as constants for the time being."
While stressing the urgency of "rapid deployment to livelihood sites" for the supplementary budget passed by the National Assembly, President Lee also appealed for public participation in energy conservation, noting that the petroleum price ceiling system introduced to reduce fuel price burdens has ironically increased energy consumption. "The funds ultimately come from citizens' taxes, so please minimize them as much as possible," he said.
The president also tightened the reins on real estate market normalization. He reiterated the directive to completely exclude stakeholders from housing and real estate policy formulation, instructing: "Remove even the people copying documents." The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport is reportedly reviewing whether to utilize property registration data of employees at the division chief level and above.
Some voices suggest that given President Lee's strong stance, the policy to exclude multi-homeowners should extend beyond housing policy to departments handling road and railway development plans.
Additionally, President Lee mentioned cases of abuse where art worth around 100 million won is appraised at 10 billion won for donation tax benefits, instructing National Tax Service Commissioner Im Kwang-hyun: "Shouldn't we reform the tax system to align with social justice, not just in form?"
President Lee also drew attention when Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, reporting on industrial accident reductions, suggested that unlimited whistleblower rewards "could be exploited like paparazzi." The president shook his head and said, "So what if they act like paparazzi?"
He added: "If the commander is red and the bureaucratic organization is gray, we must strive to make it red from head to toe," warning against falling into bureaucratic organizational logic. This was an indirect criticism that "paparazzi" concerns reflect career bureaucrats' logic. President Lee urged: "We must also engage in ideological, logical, and power struggles."
