Calls Spread: Apologize First Before Blaming the Press
Criticism of President Lee Jae-myung's remark at a Cabinet meeting on the 27th that foreign farmworkers contribute little to the national economy spread across the board on the 28th.
President Lee posted on X the previous night, demanding a correction and apology from The Hankyoreh over the headline of its article covering the Cabinet remarks, noting that the word 'little' was missing from the headline. Even after The Hankyoreh reflected 'little' in the headline, he demanded the following morning: "Explain why the headline was changed, and if the article was wrong enough to fix, an apology seems in order."
His claim that foreign workers 'send all their earnings home,' which fails factual verification, is not supported by the National Data Agency and Ministry of Justice's 'Survey on the Residency Status and Employment of Migrants' (2025). As of May last year, remittances home and abroad accounted for 25.5% of foreigners' total income, while living and housing expenses were 37.3% and 11.9%, respectively.
There is also evidence of their economic contribution. A report released by South Jeolla Province in January, 'Analysis of the Effects of Foreign Seasonal Agricultural and Fishery Workers,' found their economic impact exceeds 70 billion won. The report assumed an average monthly wage of 2.09 million won per foreign worker, with 1.15 million won in remittances and 690,000 won in consumption; factoring in the province's allocation of 20,838 workers for 2025, it estimated local consumption of 14.3 billion won per month, or 71.9 billion won per season.
Go Gi-bok, head of the Migrant Human Rights Culture Center, said that sending fairly earned wages back to one's home country is neither a drain on national wealth nor a favor, but a universal right. The UN International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers explicitly guarantees the right to remit earnings and obliges states to facilitate such transfers. The UN Sustainable Development Goals call for reducing remittance costs to below 3%.
The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions criticized the Cabinet remarks as hate speech that demeans migrant workers as 'remittance machines' and justifies discrimination. Lawyer Choi Jeong-gyu pointed out that when the president makes remarks that turn foreign workers into 'enemies,' it hands ammunition to the far right and stokes hatred. The Korean Women's Political Network expressed deep concern in a statement over attempts to muzzle the press under the weight of presidential power.
Criticism has also emerged from within the president's own camp. Writer Yu Si-min, appearing on the YouTube channel 'Park Si-young TV' on the 28th, claimed that about one-third of the Democratic Party's support base had turned their backs on President Lee. Citing the president's low approval ratings, Yu said the president has been moving in a direction that dismantles his own political base.
The Solidarity for the Enactment of an Anti-Discrimination Law noted that at a Cabinet meeting last November, President Lee himself had pointed out that outdated discrimination and hatred run rampant, and stressed that discrimination and hatred are not limited to crude insults. The presidential office has not issued a follow-up position on the remarks.
