Why President Lee Said "I Reflected on Myself" Right After His Mexico Visit

Senior Secretary Seong Gi-hong reveals president's remarks on return flight
Mexican president's press conferences draw attention
"The era of others interpreting and repackaging the president's intentions is over"
"Ways of communica

President Lee Jae-myung reportedly said aboard his plane on the way home after his state visit to Mexico last month, “I reflected on my shortcomings. I should communicate more actively with the people going forward,” expressing his intention to strengthen direct communication with the public. In this regard, Cheong Wa Dae stressed that the president’s approach to communication is not simply “SNS politics,” but part of governing in a way that brings him closer to the people.

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum shake hands after a joint press statement at the National Palace in Mexico City on the 24th (local time). Sept. 25, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Sung Gihong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, made the remarks in a post titled “The President’s Communication” on X, formerly Twitter, on the 11th. In it, he cited President Lee’s comments during his attendance at the UN General Assembly in New York last month and his state visit to Mexico.

According to Sung, President Lee said on the plane returning to Seoul after his visit to Mexico, “I reflected on my shortcomings. I should communicate more actively with the people going forward. I should communicate more directly.”

Sung explained that the president’s remarks were not unrelated to the public communication style of the local leader he encountered during his visit to Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum holds a press conference known as “La Mañanera” at the presidential palace every day at 7:30 a.m., where she explains key policies herself and answers questions from the public. Her major remarks are made into short videos and shared online.

Sung said that Sheinbaum’s predecessor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, also held 1,438 morning press conferences during his six years in office, adding that he “devoted his energy to explaining policies directly to the public and correcting misinformation.”

He also forcefully pushed back against criticism of the president’s use of social media. “In an era when people enjoy new media, they have the right to know what the president thinks directly, without someone else interpreting or editing it,” Sung said. “The era when the president stood behind a veil of authoritarianism or mystique, while someone else conveyed, interpreted and packaged his intentions, is over.”

He added that “in modern politics, social media is an important tool that enables leaders to show their sincerity to the public without an intermediary,” explaining that political leaders’ communication styles are also changing along with the media landscape.

He also cited examples of foreign leaders. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham uses TikTok and Instagram to share key policies, while Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi communicates directly with the public through social media and his monthly radio program, “Mann Ki Baat.”

He also mentioned how U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt explained his policies to the public through his radio “fireside chats” during the Great Depression, President John F. Kennedy used television, and President Barack Obama expanded digital communication through social media.

Sung said President Lee had also used social media as a way to engage with residents and explain policies while serving as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province. He said that, since taking office as president, Lee has continued his established approach to communication by explaining the purpose of policies directly through social media and gauging public responses.

However, he made clear that the president’s direct communication is not limited to social media. “Of course, social media cannot be the entirety of the president’s communication,” Sung said, pointing to various ways of engaging with the public, including press conferences, media interviews, conversations with the public, town hall meetings and meetings with people directly affected by policies.

“Sometimes a lengthy explanation is needed, and sometimes a short, quick message is needed,” he said. “What matters is not staying on any one platform, but expanding the spaces for communication to wherever the people are.” He added that the president’s direct communication would become even more diverse going forward.

Sung emphasized, “What the president seeks is not simply ‘SNS politics.’ It is dialogue that narrows the distance between the president and the people, and communication that lowers the barriers between government and the public.”

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