President Lee Jae-myung rebuts claims that 'jwaahage' is an Ilbe slang term
President Lee Jae-myung, in a post on X (the social media platform formerly known as Twitter) on the 11th, rebutted claims that the word 'jwaahage' is slang from Ilbe (the online community 'Daily Best Storage'), saying it is instead an expression used by the Democratic Party's reform wing since the Moon Jae-in administration. The president's clarification came amid growing online controversy over his recent use of the word. The dispute began on the 1st, when Lee mentioned 'jwaahage' in an X post. Broadcaster Kim Eo-jun and others claimed it was an Ilbe term, and Lee explained that "'jwaahage' is a kind of wordplay, a playful twist on the word 'elegant (wooahage).'"
As supporting evidence, the president cited the case of former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon. Park, he said, once lamented that comments on his social media accounts had been flooded with abusive language and profanity, making them unreadable, but said he could not block users while claiming to engage in communication. Lee noted, "Just as bad money drives out good, leaving abusive and vulgar slander unchecked drove even legitimate accounts away, turning the comment sections into garbage dumps." He added, "I told Mayor Park that 'I not only block accounts that engage in abusive language, profanity, mockery, and the spread of false information as soon as I see them, but also report serious cases,'" and that "as far as I know, he subsequently cleaned up and blocked the malicious accounts."
President Lee said, "Only by blocking accounts that muddy the public forum by throwing filth around can a healthy public sphere be maintained," adding, "It is only natural to kick out the scoundrels who come into someone else's yard and hurl abuse and profanity back out the door." He made clear that he does not block users over differing opinions or criticism. He concluded, "Whether elegant or 'jwaahage,' opinions that are dignified and courteous are always welcome," and "While strictness, seriousness, and authority are important virtues, let us also guard against excessive seriousness that treats dramas as documentaries."
