Blue House says president’s active social media use is “not something new”
In short
The Blue House said President Lee Jae-myung’s active social media activity is not a recent development and reflects a willingness to communicate actively with the public. A Blue House official declined to say whether aides had conveyed concerns about the activity to the president or how he responded. The official said there appears to be misunderstanding on one hand and that the president seems to see the current situation as desperate on the other.
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The Blue House said on 7 October that President Lee Jae-myung’s active use of social media is “not something new” and shows his willingness to communicate actively with the public, according to Dong-A Ilbo, Newsis and Seoul Shinmun. A Blue House official gave the explanation in response to reporters’ questions about editorials in both progressive and conservative outlets that raised concerns over the president’s social media activity, Dong-A Ilbo reported. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Asked whether Blue House aides had passed those concerns on to the president and how he reacted, the official said it is not appropriate to publicly mention what aides recommended to the president, and that relaying his response would likewise be inappropriate, according to Dong-A Ilbo. The official said that on one hand there appears to be misunderstanding, and on the other that the president seems to view the current situation as desperate, Dong-A Ilbo and Seoul Shinmun reported. [ 1 , 3 ]
The official added that the president’s active social media use is not a matter of recent days, saying it has continued from his time as Seongnam mayor, through his term as Gyeonggi governor, to his presidency, Dong-A Ilbo reported. [ 1 ]
Why it matters
The remarks are the presidential office’s first public framing of a practice that editorials across both progressive and conservative outlets have criticised, according to the Dong-A Ilbo. By declining to discuss internal advice or the president’s reaction, the office leaves open how far the practice will continue. The discussion concerns the president’s direct communication channel with the public, a matter of domestic political debate.
Key facts
- The Blue House said President Lee Jae-myung’s active social media activity is “not something new” and shows a willingness to communicate actively with the public. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A Blue House official said it is not appropriate to publicly mention what aides recommended to the president, or to relay his response. [ 1 ]
- The official said there appears to be misunderstanding on one side, and that the president seems to view the current situation as desperate on the other. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The official said the president has used social media consistently from his time as Seongnam mayor through Gyeonggi governor to president. [ 1 ]
- The remarks came in response to reporters’ questions about editorials in both progressive and conservative outlets raising concerns over the president’s social media activity. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Blue House said President Lee Jae-myung’s active social media activity is not a new development and reflects a willingness to communicate actively with the public. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- A Blue House official said there appears to be misunderstanding in some views of the president’s social media activity, and that the president seems to see the situation as desperate. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- Whether Blue House aides conveyed concerns about the president’s social media activity to him, and how he reacted. The Blue House official declined to answer, saying it is not appropriate to publicly discuss advice given to the president or his response.
- What specifically prompted the recent increase in the president’s social media activity. The documents describe the activity and the office’s response but give no trigger or specific posts.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Dong-A Ilbo publishes its report on the Blue House’s explanation of President Lee Jae-myung’s social media activity. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes its report under the headline that the Blue House says the expanded social media use reflects a willingness to actively communicate with the public. [ 2 ]
- Seoul Shinmun publishes its report quoting the Blue House as saying the president sees the situation as desperate and intends active communication. [ 3 ]