President Lee: "We Must Beware of Irresponsible Extremism... 'Mugeotgpa' Agitation Spreading Like a Trend"

Lee: "Groundless speculation and agitation are even mistaken for competence"

On October 4, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "We must be vigilant against irresponsible extremism, whether from the left or the right, whether it occurs on the front lines or in the rear."

That night, President Lee wrote this on X (formerly Twitter), adding, "This is even more important for those who hold authority and are in positions where they must take responsibility. It is because one must act and be accountable for outcomes rather than merely advocate for ideas."

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Senior Presidential Secretaries Meeting held at the Blue House on the 1st. October 1, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

President Lee pointed out, "Extreme assertions that one cannot be held responsible for, and unfounded agitation, often do not serve the people or the nation, but rather stem from selfishness—the desire to stand out and monopolize the achievements of reform." He continued, "In this era of post-truth, where mindless partisan conflict has become normalized and 'us versus them' takes precedence over basic truths, some people make hasty judgments, speculate, and incite agitation without even checking the fundamental facts, as if this constitutes competence."

He further noted, "Just as we are seeing globally, irresponsible extremists—often referred to as 'Mugeukpa'—who agitate with lies or without even the slightest factual basis are spreading like a trend in our own society as well."

President Lee emphasized, "In the end, justice will prevail as we return to a society where reason operates on the basis of facts, because we have the strength of the Korean people who, in the 80 years since liberation, have built the world's most exemplary democracy, become a top 10 economic power, and emerged as a leading country in global culture."

Meanwhile, later on October 5, President Lee shared a news report about the resumption of reclaiming assets obtained through pro-Japanese collaboration and declared, "We will thoroughly reclaim these pro-Japanese assets, even if it means expanding personnel, budget, and organizations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.