▲ President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on October 20.
President Lee Jae-myung said, "Please shift the promotion of government achievements away from old methods to impactful, contemporary methods of communication."
Chief Blue House Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated in a written briefing that President Lee gave this instruction to Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young during a closed-door session of a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House on October 20.
President Lee urged, "Since the government has accomplished so much, there is a need to select and focus rather than listing them all like a department store catalog," adding, "Promoting state affairs achievements is a crucial stepping stone to persuading the public and securing support, so please improve overall government public relations."
The remark is interpreted as calling on government ministries to actively utilize such approaches moving forward, amid President Lee's recent emphasis on real-time communication, including his active use of social media such as X (formerly Twitter) and live broadcasts of Cabinet meetings.
In connection with this, Seong Gi-hong, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication, appeared on SBS's 'News Briefing with Joo Young-jin' on October 20 and said, "The paradigm has shifted from the analog era to the digital era.
Most political leaders around the world engage in direct communication," adding, "Please view this in the context of leaders' communication tools expanding alongside the expansion of democracy."
Addressing criticism from some quarters regarding President Lee's use of social media, Senior Secretary Seong countered, "While there is criticism that he works too late into the night, former U.S. President Barack Obama was also a quintessential night owl politician," adding, "Taking issue simply with the fact that posts were made at dawn misses the point."
He also said, "Some point out that there should be gatekeeping (by aides), but I wonder if there could be any post by the president that suddenly appears completely detached from the views of his staff."
Regarding the so-called 'interactive briefing system,' where cameras show not only the spokesperson but also reporters' faces during live broadcasts of Blue House briefings, he explained, "There were concerns at first, but I believe it has now taken root," adding, "The public is at the center of all dialogue, and both the government and the media (are disclosing the Q&A process) responsibly and transparently."
Regarding media reports that the Blue House instructed ministries to adopt this method, he noted, "Because the Blue House led by example, each ministry is also following suit in line with the spirit of transparency, accountability, and openness."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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