President Lee Jae-myung, on a state visit to Italy, told the ruling Democratic Party on Friday that "the passion of the ruling party must be directed not at 'our camp' but at the entire nation."
Even while touring Europe, Lee posted a 1,600-character essay on social media, in what was interpreted as a message to accept the local election results and to "cooperate in state affairs as befits the governing party."
"Rather than confrontation and exclusion, the party must play the role of a large vessel that mediates conflict and minimizes backlash through constant dialogue and communication," Lee emphasized in a post on X, formerly Twitter. The message effectively called for a change in the party's overall stance and a shift in leadership, while appealing for the consolidation of the ruling party's support base.
In the post, titled "The Ruling Party, the Opposition, and Political Responsibility," Lee wrote: "The ruling party has already succeeded in taking power, and with the official authority granted to it, can realize its values and beliefs through action rather than assertion. In return, it must take full responsibility for the nation's future and the lives of all citizens, and pursue re-election through results that prove its achievements." He added: "For the opposition, oversight, checks, and attacks on the ruling party and government are important, but for the ruling party, what matters is the capacity to take responsibility with the power it has been given, along with performance, inclusion, and unity."
Citing German philosopher Max Weber, he also mentioned three qualities of a politician. Lee listed them one by one: "passion for a cause rather than self-interest," "an infinite sense of responsibility for the consequences of one's actions," and "a sense of balance between reality and ideals." On "responsibility" in particular, Lee stressed: "It is said that for a politician, an 'ethic of responsibility' that predicts and takes responsibility for outcomes is more important than an 'ethic of conviction' that puts good intentions first and disregards the consequences." On a "sense of balance," he said, "The words of Kim Dae-jung, who advocated harmony between the problem-consciousness of a scholar and the practical sense of a merchant, likely carry the same meaning."
Lee continued: "A realist without ideals becomes an opportunist chasing only immediate gain, while an idealist without reality becomes an incompetent demagogue focused on divisiveness without solutions."
Lee further emphasized: "If politics ignores the constraints of reality and the limits of human beings and clings only to ideals, it falls into self-righteousness and factionalism, and if it loses its ideals, it degenerates into the mere maintenance of power." He reiterated, "To change reality, one must not forget values and aspirations, but paradoxically, a sense of balance that views reality with composure is essential."
Lee argued: "It is my view that if the opposition is close to an army, a spear, the ruling party is close to farming, a vessel." He stressed: "That is why the governing party, while not abandoning its convictions, must focus more on the 'language of responsibility' than on the language of conviction. The opposition can cry out for ideals and beliefs, deny its opponents, and devote itself to struggle, but the ruling party has a responsibility to break through obstacles and interference, solve the real problems of citizens' livelihoods, and prove itself through results."
Finally, Lee said: "Right now, the fate of this nation and the lives of 52 million citizens rest in our hands." He added, "Let us look bigger, wider, and farther, and move forward together with more of the people." He went on: "If something had been seized through war, exclusion and monopoly would not be strange. But if one has won through competition with the strength of a part and come to represent the whole, then inclusion and openness for all are now essential."
