Stirring up division to stall prosecution reform is irresponsible extremism

President Lee Jae Myung on the 28th criticized acts of exploiting hardline purity and stoking divisive claims to stall the prosecution reform process as 'irresponsible extremism.' Sharing a post by an online user on X (formerly Twitter), the president distinguished between two camps, saying, "There are those who genuinely advocate prosecution reform for the country and the people, and there are those who stall reform with inflammatory claims to serve their own hidden political and private agendas." The online user had previously written, "Why not apologize for branding critics as members of the 'irresponsible extremist faction'?"

The president pointed out that irresponsible extremism meant "riding on the urgent and desperate desire for reform felt by some citizens, stoking anxiety about the failure of reform, acting as if one alone is the true agent of change through all-or-nothing demagoguery, and attacking comrades who are genuinely trying to reform." He added, addressing the online user, "If you do not belong to that group, you have no reason to feel offended; but if you think you do and feel upset, I would urge you to reflect on that at least once."

The president also pushed back against criticism of 'blame-shifting' over the farmland survey. On the 26th, at a meeting with farmers and fishermen, President Lee said the comprehensive farmland survey was conducted at the suggestion of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Song Mi-ryung. He clarified, "The farmland survey will face opposition, but it is the core of agricultural reform that must be done and a reform measure that deserves praise. I mentioned it as a point of praise—it was I who ordered it, but the minister proposed it." He added, "Everyone knows I directly ordered it in an open meeting, and saying someone else proposed it does nothing to reduce my responsibility."