President Lee: "Blocking Abusive Accounts Is Natural" … Rebuts Criticism over 'Jwa-ah-hage'

President Lee Jae-myung stated, "Accounts that throw filth and disrupt the public forum must be blocked in order to maintain a healthy public arena."

Writing on X (formerly Twitter) on this day, President Lee said, "It is only natural to kick ruffians out the door if they barge into another person's front yard spewing verbal abuse and profanities."

The remark is interpreted as a rebuttal to criticism from some quarters over his blocking of users who posted critical comments with harsh expressions on social media.

In connection with this, President Lee introduced an anecdote from the past, saying, "I am reminded of the late Mayor Park Won-soon."

Regarding the former Seoul mayor, President Lee noted, "He was an outstanding 'idea man' who always emphasized and enjoyed communicating with citizens, and someone who awakened me to the importance of communication and social media as its tool."

However, President Lee recounted that when he met the former mayor one day, Mayor Park lamented that his social media account was flooded with abusive and profane comments, yet struggled, saying, "I cannot block people when I advocate communication."

In response, President Lee revealed that he advised Mayor Park, saying, "Spewing filth in a forum of communication through abuse, profanities, and sarcasm is not communication, but an obstruction of communication. Blocking such filth is what actually makes genuine communication possible. I not only block them on sight, but also report them when it is severe."

He added, "After that, I understand former Mayor Park also blocked and cleaned up malicious accounts."

President Lee continued, "Naturally, I do not block people just for expressing opposing opinions or criticizing. Whether elegantly ('u-ah-hage') or 'left-gantly' ('jwa-ah-hage'), opinions presented with dignity and courtesy are always welcome."

The expression 'jwa-ah-hage' is slang used on some internet forums, replacing the 'u' in the word 'u-ah-hage' (elegantly/gracefully) with 'jwa' (left, 左). President Lee's recent use of this term on social media drew criticism, primarily from the conservative opposition, as "rhetoric focused only on one faction."

Refuting this as well, President Lee said, "The term 'jwa-ah-hage' was not used on Ilbe, but rather by the democratic reform camp since the administration of President Moon Jae-in," adding that it is "a playful pun that twists the word 'u-ah-hage' (elegantly)."

He also expressed regret, saying, "Although the world is harsh and busy, I hope people find the leisure to occasionally look up at the clear sky, look around at their surroundings, and enjoy wit, humor, and playfulness," adding, "Grave seriousness and authority are important virtues, but let us also be wary of 'excessive seriousness' that treats a drama like a documentary."

In another post on X that followed, President Lee pointed out, "People who have lived lavishly all their lives as high-ranking officials without difficulties thanks to their parents find it hard to understand the weary lives and perceptions of ordinary citizens."

He also criticized, "Can people who enjoy all kinds of luxuries on the blood and sweat of ordinary citizens' taxes, yet act harsher toward the powerless and slash small-scale welfare budgets for ordinary citizens without hesitation, understand the feelings of those who swallow dry saliva because they lack a few thousand won to buy fruit, those who fret over a few tens of thousands of won and starve, or those who contemplate whether they should just die embracing their families?"

He added, "Constantly looking back at the back alleys of real life and taking care of struggling people at the lowest places in this world—that is state administration, governance, and politics," and warned, "They must realize that lives they never imagined could be cut down by the blade mindlessly wielded by those in power."

President Lee did not specify in the post who he was referring to by the "person in power mindlessly wielding a blade."

However, given his mention of "slashing small-scale welfare budgets for ordinary citizens," some interpret that he may have had in mind Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, who is in conflict with the provincial council after significantly cutting budgets, including livelihood projects, citing a fiscal crisis.

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