President Lee Jae-myung said today (the 25th), "When pursuing reforms, raising your voice and setting high, clear-cut goals may earn you praise, but it also triggers massive resistance and backlash." He added, "This makes it difficult to achieve your goals and results in greater sacrifices."

During the Cabinet meeting he presided over at the Cheong Wa Dae that day, President Lee explained, "That is why I believe we need a pragmatic and effective approach."

As calls continue to mount recently—particularly among hardline supporters of the ruling camp—demanding powerful reforms of state power agencies, President Lee's remarks are interpreted as placing greater weight on practical solutions that yield tangible results rather than an unconditional "hardline stance."

President Lee remarked, "Whenever a new administration is launched, people talk about reform. When the democratic and reformist faction comes to power, the desire for reform is typically even stronger." He continued, "However, looking back at history, revolutionary situations are often followed by so-called counter-revolutions and reactions."

He explained, "Reform literally means 'peeling off the skin.' Changing society is even more difficult than changing an individual's life," adding, "There is also the resistance of the so-called vested interests when creating new changes."

He went on to repeatedly emphasize the need for a calm and measured approach, using an analogy: "Even when giving an injection, you have to take your time and comfort the patient so it hurts less."

(Photo: Cheong Wa Dae Press Corps, Yonhap News)