South Korea's Lee warns against ‘irresponsible extremists’, calls them ‘mugeukpa’
Version 2: More outlets have now carried the full text of the post, which introduced the label “mugeukpa” (irresponsible extremists), alongside the reported interpretation that it targets ruling-camp critics of the nominee for the Serious Crime Investigation Agency chief, additional posts on recovering pro-Japanese collaborators' assets and on fuel prices, and reported online pushback.
In short
President Lee Jae-myung said in a post on X on the night of Oct. 4 that irresponsible extremism must be guarded against “whether left or right, front or back, anywhere”, and called those who incite the public with lies or no grounds at all “mugeukpa”, or irresponsible extremists. He said people in positions of authority should act and be accountable for results rather than make groundless claims, which he said often stem from selfishness and a wish to monopolise reform results. Korean outlets reported the interpretation that the message targeted ruling-camp hardliners opposing the nomination of Kim Ji-yong to head the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, a point Lee did not state himself.
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President Lee Jae-myung said in a post on X on the night of Oct. 4 that “irresponsible extremists” who deceive the public on the basis of lies or with no grounds at all are spreading incitement “like a trend”, Newsis, Yonhap, Seoul Economic Daily, Kyunghyang Shinmun, SBS and Maeil Business reported. Lee said irresponsible extremism must be guarded against “whether left or right, front or back, anywhere”, and named such figures “mugeukpa”, or irresponsible extremists. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 10 , 12 , 13 ]
Lee said that those with authority and responsibility should act and be accountable for results rather than make claims, and that extreme claims and groundless incitement that cannot be backed by responsibility often come not from serving the public or the state but from selfishness and a wish to display oneself and monopolise reform results. He added that in an age of post-truth and routine factional confrontation, asserting and speculating without checking basic facts can look like a skill, but that society would in the end return to reason based on facts. According to Yonhap, SBS and Maeil Business, Lee did not say whom or what he meant by “mugeukpa” or “extreme claims”. [ 5 , 6 , 12 , 13 ]
Yonhap, Seoul Economic Daily, Kyunghyang Shinmun, Chosun Ilbo and Maeil Business reported the interpretation that the message was aimed at hardline supporters within the ruling camp who oppose the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. Kyunghyang cited Gyeonggi Governor Chu Mi-ae writing on Facebook on Oct. 2 that it made no sense to appoint a person who could turn their back on the public and on justice as the captain of a reform ship, and Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Yong-min telling a press conference outside the prosecution office in Seocho, Seoul, the same day that the nominee had opposed prosecution reform. It also cited writer Yoo Si-min saying on a Media Today YouTube channel on Sept. 22 that Lee had “deceived the public” over prosecution reform. [ 5 , 6 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]
The same X activity included policy messages. Lee shared a report that the Justice Ministry had recovered the property of pro-Japanese collaborator Kim Han-kyu, saying he would thoroughly recover pro-Japanese assets even if it meant expanding staff, budget and organisation, and that the saying “collaborators rich for three generations, independence activists poor for three generations” should never be heard again. He also shared a post saying Korea's fuel price rise from January to September was the lowest among major countries, attributing it to legal controls on refiners' refined-oil supply prices and volumes, thanking refiners and gas stations that cooperated, and asking people to use “good, good gas stations”. [ 5 , 6 , 10 , 12 , 13 ]
Asia Economy reported that Lee had been responding directly over the National Foundation Day holiday to criticism and hardline arguments inside the ruling camp, including telling supporters critical of his dinner with former Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae that they might try to view things from a correct perspective, and drawing a line at “reform for political results and applause”. Asia Economy also reported that netizens pointed to specifics and pushed back, citing a netizen's post on X on Oct. 3; the remainder of that passage is truncated in the document. [ 16 ]
Why it matters
The remarks come from the president himself and name a category of political incitement as a spreading problem, at a moment when outlets report tension inside the ruling camp over a key appointment. Because Lee did not identify whom he meant, the practical effect on that dispute or on broader political debate cannot be judged from the documents.
Key facts
- Lee said on Oct. 4 that irresponsible extremism must be guarded against “whether left or right, front or back, anywhere”. [ 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Lee used the term “mugeukpa”, or irresponsible extremists, for those who deceive the public on the basis of lies or with no grounds at all. [ 5 , 6 , 9 , 10 ]
- Lee said those with authority and responsibility should act and be accountable for results rather than make claims, and that groundless incitement often comes from selfishness and a wish to monopolise reform results. [ 5 , 6 , 12 , 13 ]
- Lee did not say whom or what he meant by “mugeukpa” or by “extreme claims”. [ 5 , 6 , 12 , 13 ]
- Several outlets reported the interpretation that the message was aimed at ruling-camp hardliners opposing Kim Ji-yong's nomination as head of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. [ 5 , 6 , 10 , 11 , 13 ]
- Lee also shared and commented on a report that the Justice Ministry recovered the property of pro-Japanese collaborator Kim Han-kyu, saying he would expand staff, budget and organisation to recover such assets thoroughly. [ 5 , 6 , 10 , 12 ]
- Lee shared a post saying Korea's January–September fuel price rise was the lowest among major countries, attributing it to legal controls on refiners' supply prices and volumes and thanking cooperating refiners and gas stations. [ 5 , 10 , 12 , 13 ]
- Asia Economy reported Lee also responded over the National Foundation Day holiday to criticism inside the ruling camp, including over a dinner with former Democratic Party leader Chung Cheong-rae. [ 16 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Lee delivered the message in a post on X on the night of Oct. 4. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 10 , 12 , 13 ]
- Lee called for guarding against irresponsible extremism “whether left or right, front or back, anywhere”. [ 3 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 15 ]
- Lee said incitement that cannot be backed by responsibility often stems from selfishness and a desire to display oneself and monopolise reform results. [ 5 , 6 , 10 , 12 , 13 ]
- Lee did not specify whom he was referring to. [ 5 , 6 , 12 , 13 ]
- The same X activity included posts on recovering pro-Japanese collaborators' assets and on fuel prices. [ 5 , 6 , 10 , 12 , 13 ]
Still unclear
- Whom or what Lee meant by “mugeukpa” and “extreme claims”. Lee did not name anyone; outlets offer the dispute over the Kim Ji-yong nomination as an interpretation, not a statement by the president.
- The exact time the post was published. Documents say only that it was posted on the night of Oct. 4, and no precise posting time is given; one outlet's earliest report carries a publication time earlier on Oct. 4.
- Whether the message was aimed at the ruling-camp critics of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency nomination. Reported by several outlets as an interpretation (“분석이 나온다”), while Lee's own text names no person, group or appointment.
- Reaction to the post. Most documents report the post itself; Asia Economy describes netizen pushback and cites a netizen's Oct. 3 post on X, but that passage is truncated and no party or government response is reported.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Seoul Shinmun reports Lee's remarks that false incitement is spreading like a trend and on the selfishness of those seeking to monopolise reform results. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports that Lee, in a post on X the night of Oct. 4, called for guarding against irresponsible extremism “whether left or right, front or back”. [ 3 ]
- Yonhap publishes the fullest text of the post, including the “mugeukpa” label and the note that Lee named no one. [ 5 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the interpretation that the message targets ruling-camp hardliners opposing the Kim Ji-yong nomination, citing Governor Chu Mi-ae's Oct. 2 Facebook post, lawmaker Kim Yong-min's Oct. 2 press conference in Seocho, Seoul, and writer Yoo Si-min's Sept. 22 remarks. [ 10 ]
- Asia Economy reports Lee's holiday responses to criticism inside the ruling camp and netizen pushback citing a netizen's Oct. 3 post on X. [ 16 ]