President Lee: "Communication Needed from Ministers to Staff… We Must Debate Without Rank"

President Lee Jae-myung urged various ministries and public institutions, stating, "The core axis of state affairs is the ministries, agencies, and administrations," and added, "There needs to be a lot of communication, from ministers down to frontline staff."

During the Cabinet meeting he presided over at the Blue House, President Lee said, "Brainstorming and candid discussions without regard for rank are absolutely necessary," and emphasized this point.

President Lee brought up the issue of so-called "grasshopper forestry corporations"—companies that relocate to different regions to establish legal entities solely to win municipal and county-ordered projects—which was recently reported by SBS. He explained, "If the media is able to produce an investigative report on this, it means they are all aware of it, but it is difficult for relevant ministries to know if such information is not being reported to them."

He further pointed out, "This does not mean it is the fault of the ministries, but rather that such things are happening routinely. These incidents occur because communication between the top leadership and frontline public officials is not functioning well."

President Lee stated, "Everyone is doing a good job, but as we begin the second year (of the administration), we must achieve more results," and added, "We must remove the large stones, then the medium stones, and finally the gravel to create fertile soil. It is regrettable that I have to sound like I am nagging, but please pay closer attention."

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