President Lee: Policy Disagreements Among Ministries Are a 'Democratic Process of Adjusting Debates'

President Lee Jae-myung called on government ministries to actively debate state policies on the 11th, stating, "When cabinet members debate and argue, the public does not have to."

Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex Sejong, President Lee made the remarks while addressing recent observations about occasional friction or conflicting signals between government agencies in state administration.

Citing differing views between the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Employment and Labor regarding the introduction of exemptions to the 52-hour workweek, President Lee emphasized, "The process of debating, arguing, adjusting, and ultimately reaching a certain conclusion is the most democratic way."

He pointed out, "We should view the coordination of stances into a single position through rational debate as a democratic process. It is undesirable to treat differing opinions among ministries on pending issues as a problem in itself."

He added, "Policies are policies precisely because there is room for debate and differing opinions, unlike obvious truths that leave no room for disagreement. When proposals are submitted, there is always room for revision."

"My intention is for you to debate," President Lee noted, criticizing that "if cabinet members do not argue, citizens with differing stances will end up fighting."

He reiterated, "So that business owners and workers do not fight, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, which represent business positions, and the Ministry of Employment and Labor, which represents workers, must fiercely debate policies so that there is less conflict in the field."

President Lee's remarks on this day are interpreted as an indirect rebuttal to recent criticisms from some circles that ministers of relevant departments have exposed differences over various policy pending issues, including the issue of exemptions to the 52-hour workweek system and the operation of the joint prosecution-police investigation headquarters.

In addition, regarding Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yoon-cheol's statement that the tax reform bill could be revised and supplemented, President Lee mentioned, "There were criticisms that it was being made into a patchwork and lacked consistency, but this is similar."

He pointed out, "Announcing a proposal and legislatively previewing it to listen to public opinion is how it works. If there are counterarguments, it is desirable to accept them. Is it really consistent to just 'go' with a decision once it is made? No, it is not."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.