President Lee Rejects Calls to Make Cabinet Meetings Entirely Private, Reaffirming Principle of Transparency in Public Administration

▲ President Lee Jae-myung

President Lee Jae-myung said on October 16, "I cannot agree with the argument from some quarters that Cabinet meetings should be held entirely behind closed doors," adding, "Cabinet meeting minutes have already been made public previously, and the principle for all public administration, including state affairs, is openness."

President Lee made the remarks in a post titled "Regarding the Controversy over Cabinet Meeting Openness" on X (formerly Twitter).

In the post, President Lee addressed recent media reports suggesting that concerns over the public disclosure of Cabinet meetings were raised during a dinner hosted by the prime minister.

President Lee explained, "Aside from one minister reportedly saying, 'It is difficult because the Cabinet meetings are public,' the reports claiming someone 'recommended not making them public' or made remarks regarding social media appear to be untrue."

He went on to say, "Cabinet meetings are followed by separate closed-door sessions, and matters that require security or could put Cabinet members in an awkward position are discussed behind closed doors," adding, "Things that cannot be said in public sessions can be discussed in closed meetings, and if there are still things difficult to say, I encourage them to call or send messages individually."

He also stated, "A good friend is one who offers bitter advice. If public officials carrying out duties delegated by the people do not point out problems that fellow officials need to correct, it is an evasion of responsibility rooted in selfishness or contrary to public trust," adding, "I am confident that at least in this administration, there are no Cabinet members who cannot speak their minds to the president."

At the same time, he said, "The public also sees firsthand instances where officials confidently challenge the president's opinions," adding, "I express deep regret over the false claims that opening meetings to the public is silencing Cabinet members."

He continued, "Public meetings are also an opportunity for ministers to demonstrate their enthusiasm and competence to the public, and many Cabinet members take good advantage of this," dismissing the notion by saying, "'Not being able to speak because it is public' is merely the wish of those who want to prevent meetings from being made public."

President Lee added, "During public discussions, Cabinet members may feel uncomfortable with the president's questions aimed at fact-checking, but as the minister in charge, it is only natural to know one's work like the back of one's hand," elaborating, "They may not know detailed figures and such. That is why I have repeatedly said, 'A minister cannot know everything. Please do not pretend to know if you do not.'"

President Lee reiterated, "Just as middlemen find direct transactions between producers and consumers inconvenient, there are probably many who feel uncomfortable with direct communication between elected officials and the public," emphasizing, "I fully understand that, but it is difficult to agree with blocking direct transactions just to guarantee intermediary margins."

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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