President Lee: "Flawed, Ungrammatical Words Must Be Pointed Out for Language to Develop Properly"

President Lee Jae-myung pointed out today (October 6) that "there are many cases where nonsensical words that violate Korean grammar are used," adding, "We must pay careful attention to official language, including broadcast remarks and government documents."

At a Cabinet meeting he presided over at Cheong Wa Dae today, following an explanation by Fair Trade Commission Chairperson Ju Byung-gi that standard terms and conditions were revised so funeral homes cannot arbitrarily dispose of wreaths without the consent of bereaved families, President Lee remarked, "Isn't it usually called johwa (condolence flowers)? The flowers used for auspicious occasions are called hwahwan (celebratory wreaths)."

President Lee noted, "I heard there are countries where people must obtain approval to use a single new word in broadcasting. I believe France is like that," adding, "I was told we also have such a mechanism."

Citing 'jeohui nara' (a humble form mistakenly lowering one's own nation) as an example of ungrammatical word usage, he pointed out, "This is self-deprecation that insults our own people, yet many do not realize it." Regarding the term 'daeinbae' (a pseudo-antonym created to oppose 'soinbae' or narrow-minded person), he remarked, "Daeinbae is an even worse derogatory term, but it frequently appears in media reports as if it were a legitimate word."

He continued, "Someone, somewhere, needs to point out incorrectly used words in news reports so that the language can develop properly," adding, "Of course, I am not at all saying that we should control things like the use of abbreviations. Shouldn't we cherish Hangeul, our great writing system, a bit more?"

President Lee also brought up the proposal to display a Hangeul plaque alongside the existing Hanja (Chinese characters) signboard on Gwanghwamun Gate. "Debates are ongoing, and I hear opinions are split roughly half and half," he asked, adding, "My personal thought is that co-displaying both would be acceptable, but I cannot just do as I please."

He added, "We need to make a decision by next year and reach a conclusion somehow."

President Lee then proposed an impromptu poll in the Cabinet meeting's YouTube livestream chat. When Minister for Government Policy Coordination Lim Gi-keun reported that nearly 90% of the comments supported co-displaying Hangeul, President Lee laughed and said, "That is strange. Could it be because I voiced my opinion beforehand? Perhaps a bit of bias crept in. I will take it into consideration."

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