South Korea's Lee says reform must not be a means of attacking anyone
Version 2: No substantive change in the news itself: the president's Oct 4 post is unchanged, but the report now draws on additional South Korean outlets, including the state news agency Yonhap, which frames the message as an appeal for restraint and ruling-camp unity amid continued opposition to the Kim Ji-yong nomination.
In short
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said in an X post on Oct 4 that reform is for the people and the country, not for someone's political achievements and applause, and that it must not be a means of showing clarity, drawing attention or attacking anyone. He pledged to push “practical reform” that improves people's lives without wavering. South Korean outlets reported the remarks appeared aimed at ruling-camp figures opposing the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency.
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President Lee Jae-myung said in a post on X on Oct 4 that reform is for the people and the country, not for someone's political achievements and applause, according to accounts of the post by multiple South Korean outlets. He wrote that reform “should be a goal” and must not be a means of showing clarity, drawing attention or attacking someone, and that it must lead to real results improving livelihoods and national development rather than a noisy process that blocks results. He pledged to push ahead without wavering with practical reform that improves people's lives. [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]
Several outlets reported the message appeared aimed at hardliners in the ruling camp opposing the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. Dong-A Ilbo asked in its headline whether it targeted Rep. Kim Yong-min and Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae. Maeil Business reported the president did not directly mention any specific issue or person, and said voices in the ruling camp have differed over the speed and direction of prosecution reform. Yonhap reported the message was read as reaffirming his reform will, calling for restraint in internal attacks and seeking to consolidate the ruling camp. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
Kyunghyang Shinmun reported the Blue House sent Kim's personnel hearing request to the National Assembly on Oct 1. Asia Economy reported the president had approved the request and that he considered it hard to view Kim as a “pro-Yoon prosecutor,” and that opposition within the ruling camp continued: Governor Choo wrote on Facebook on Oct 3 that she “confesses” her poor judgment of people and “beats her chest” over her own appointment of Kim as a chief prosecutor when she was justice minister, and Rep. Kim Yong-min said Kim was a figure who had opposed prosecution reform. [ 6 , 7 ]
The Oct 4 post continued earlier presidential messages. SBS News reported that on Oct 1 the president wrote on social media that the goal of prosecution reform was not revenge against the prosecution or destroying it, and that state affairs and prosecution reform should not settle personal feelings or grudges or serve a specific person or group. Dong-A Ilbo reported that on Sept 30 he retweeted a supporter's post urging him not to use Kim as the agency head. Asia Economy reported that at a meeting with compatriots in Mexico City on Sept 24 he said reform that goes “too fast, too far, too hastily” meets a backlash, and that at a Sept 18 press conference he said he had focused on producing results as quietly as possible while minimising resistance. [ 4 , 6 , 8 ]
Why it matters
The post is a presidential message aimed at friction inside the ruling camp over a key prosecution-reform appointment, so it signals how the president wants his reform agenda paced and how much room hardliners in his own party have to object. Outlets that carried background noted he has argued that emphasising clarity invites resistance and slows reform, framing the dispute as one about method as much as about the nominee.
Key facts
- President Lee Jae-myung wrote on X on Oct 4 that reform is for the people and the country, not for someone's political achievements and applause. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]
- He said reform should be a goal and must not be a means of showing clarity, drawing attention or attacking someone. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- He said reform must lead to real results for livelihoods and national development, and must not be a noisy process that blocks results. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- He pledged to push practical reform that improves people's lives without wavering. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]
- South Korean outlets reported the remarks appeared aimed at ruling-camp figures opposing the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 12 ]
- Maeil Business reported the president did not directly mention any specific issue or person. [ 9 ]
- Yonhap reported the message was read as reaffirming his reform will, calling for restraint in internal attacks and seeking to consolidate the ruling camp. [ 10 ]
- Asia Economy reported Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae wrote on Facebook on Oct 3 that she confesses her poor judgment of people over her own appointment of Kim as a chief prosecutor when she was justice minister. [ 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- President Lee Jae-myung said in an X post on Oct 4 that reform is for the people and the country, not for someone's political achievements and applause. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]
- The president said reform should be a goal and must not be a means of showing clarity, drawing attention or attacking someone. [ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The president said reform must lead to real results for livelihoods and national development, and that a noisy process blocking results is unacceptable. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 ]
- The president said he would push practical reform that improves people's lives without wavering. [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]
- South Korean outlets reported the remarks appeared aimed at ruling-camp figures opposing the nomination of Kim Ji-yong as chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. [ 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 12 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the remarks were aimed at specific individuals such as Rep. Kim Yong-min and Gyeonggi Governor Choo Mi-ae. The documents present this as interpretation rather than a stated target; Dong-A Ilbo raises it as a question in its headline and Maeil Business says the president named no specific issue or person.
- Whether Kim Ji-yong's nomination as chief of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency will proceed. Kyunghyang Shinmun says the Blue House sent the hearing request to the National Assembly on Oct 1 and Asia Economy says the president approved it, but no document gives an outcome.
- The exact time the X post was published. Dong-A Ilbo says the post was made on the morning of Oct 4; no document gives a specific time.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kukmin Ilbo carries an early report of the president's remark that reform is not a means of attack and is not for someone's political achievements. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports the president's X post, saying it was directed at ruling-party hardliners. [ 2 ]
- Newsis reports the post, including the pledge to pursue practical reform. [ 3 ]
- Dong-A Ilbo reports the post and asks in its headline whether it targets Rep. Kim Yong-min and Governor Choo Mi-ae. [ 4 ]
- Asia Economy reports the post with background on opposition to the Kim Ji-yong nomination and the president's earlier remarks. [ 6 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun reports the post, linking it to the Oct 1 hearing request sent to the National Assembly. [ 7 ]
- SBS News reports the post and the president's earlier Oct 1 social media message on prosecution reform. [ 8 ]
- Yonhap reports the post and frames it as seeking ruling-camp unity. [ 10 ]
- CBS NoCut News reports the post and the interpretation that it was meant to placate strong ruling-camp supporters. [ 12 ]