"President Lee Is an Arrogant Ruler," Criticized... Sharp Retort Calling "Yoo Si-min a Shaman"

[Anchor]

Writer Yoo Si-min, a political commentator aligned with the broader ruling camp, has unleashed scathing criticism against President Lee Jae-myung and the ruling party. The ruling camp reacted with fury, claiming the remarks crossed the line.

Reporter Kim Kwan-jin has the story.

[Reporter]

Writer Yoo, who has previously dropped controversial topics into the broader ruling camp starting with the "ABC Theory" last March, followed by the "Reconstruction Theory" and the "Certain Defeat Theory," launched a direct and fierce attack on President Lee this time.

[Yoo Si-min / Writer (Last night, YouTube channel 'Jang In-soo's Journalist'): "For the past year, the demeanor shown by the President is that of a ruler—and I believe it is the demeanor of an arrogant ruler."] (Note: "Last night" refers to August 24, 2026)

Yoo claimed that he had trusted President Lee when he said he needed authority rather than power to become an instrument of history, but that he either misjudged the man or that Lee changed after seizing power.

He also criticized the Democratic Party, citing a former Blue House secretary embroiled in a controversy over "personnel favor text messages," alleging that President Lee is trying to place the Democratic Party under his own influence.

[Yoo Si-min / Writer (Last night, YouTube channel 'Jang In-soo's Journalist'): "The moment he resigns and walks out, they make him party spokesperson and hand him a strategic nomination during local elections. A party that does that is a 'lost party'."]

The Democratic Party's national convention was also brought under fire.

[Yoo Si-min / Writer (Last night, YouTube channel 'Jang In-soo's Journalist'): "For the President to 'pick' and drop in a party leader for the ruling party to get elected is heading toward a monarchy or aristocracy."]

He then commented on the election of three pro-President candidates in the Supreme Council race and the defeat of President Lee's closest aide, remarking, "The Democratic Party is much more admirable than I thought."

The ruling camp poured out criticisms, saying Yoo had gone way past the line.

Five-term lawmaker Park Jie-won lashed out, saying, "If you are trying to shake the President and help the forces of rebellion seize power, come out of the closet and go that way." Pro-Lee freshman lawmaker Jung Jin-uk launched a direct strike, calling him "a venomous speller of curses, and Yoo Si-min is a shaman, not a writer."

Minister of Planning and Budget Park Hong-keun wrote on social media, "How can you spit in the well you dug together just because you don't like it?"

While Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok is kicking off efforts for integration within the broader ruling camp by launching internal party organizations, the controversy surrounding Yoo's remarks is fueling an even wider internal rift within the ruling bloc.

(Camera <i>cameramen</i>: Oh Young-chun, Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing: Oh Young-taek | Design: Hwang Se-yeon)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.