SNS Is a Double-Edged Sword for President Lee

Dismisses concerns over SNS, calling it "a leaflet and a lifeline"
Must take note of the high level of negative views
Should reduce sources of conflict and focus on policy effectiveness

"Would there have been a President Lee Jae-myung without social media? SNS is both a lifeline and a source of oxygen." On October 19, President Lee Jae-myung dismissed concerns raised by some about his use of social media, saying he intended to further expand direct communication with the public through social networking services (SNS). The president made an unscheduled visit to Chun Chugwan that day and held a meeting with reporters, where he sang the praises of SNS.

"Would I really have been able to become governor of Gyeonggi Province if I had not communicated directly with the public, appealed to them directly, and heard their opinions firsthand? Would I have survived the concentrated attacks that followed?I strongly encourage politicians to increase their direct contact with the public and make extensive use of SNS. At the final moment, communication with the public can be the outlet that saves you.I plan to communicate with you more often going forward, and I should use this opportunity to expand my communication channels. I think SNS has been one of my strengths." He added, "(SNS)is text-based, so it can be sharp and lack emotion, and it has limitations. I am looking into ways to communicate face-to-face as much as possible." He hinted that he would seek to diversify his communication channels by trying a new method that would show his face, rather than relying solely on text. The president's social media activity, which has grown more active since Chuseok, seems more likely to increase further than to decline. On October 21, he also said, "I will increase live broadcasts of government affairs, contact with the media, visits to the field, and SNS activity."

President Lee Jaemyung speaks with reporters in the lobby of Chunchugwan, the press center at the Blue House, on the 19th. Yonhap News

The president's fondness for SNS is nothing new. He was well known for it from his days as mayor of Seongnam and governor of Gyeonggi Province. So much so that his active supporters were called the "Finger Revolution Army." An associate who has worked alongside President Lee since his days as mayor of Seongnam said, "The president uses SNS at all hours of the day and night. He even sends messages in the early morning." An account of the president's SNS use in the "Kim Hyunji transcript" reported by Weekly Kyunghyang on October 4 is also interesting. It said that when the president, then mayor of Seongnam, used SNS too much, Chief Kim Hyunji advised him to cut back because it was bad for his health. The president reportedly responded with a question: "Don't you remember when you were handing out leaflets? Think of it as distributing one million leaflets." According to the recollection, after hearing that, Chief Kim did not bring up reducing his SNS use again. For the president, SNS was like a leaflet on which he could write whatever he wanted to say and distribute it.

On October 20, Seong Gi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, appeared on SBS's "Joo Young-jin's News Briefing" and said, "Please view this in terms of how communication tools for leaders expand amid the expansion of democracy." However, the president's social media activity is not viewed positively by everyone. On October 20, PenNMike commissioned public opinion polling firm Gongjeong Co., Ltd. to ask which view of President Lee's social media activity respondents agreed with more. The results showed that 31.9% said, "I view it positively because it narrows the distance between the president and the public," while 62.5% said, "I view it negatively because it is excessive in frequency and lowers the dignity of the office." The "Not sure" response was 5.6 percentage points. (The survey was conducted using a wireless automated response system (ARS) telephone survey with a structured questionnaire, using wireless random digit dialing (RDD) for 100% of calls. The overall response rate was 3.2%. A total of 1,002 men and women aged 18 or older nationwide were surveyed over two days, October 18 and 19. The margin of error was ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level. For more details, see the website of the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission.)

President Lee Jaemyung dismissed concerns about his use of social media during a press briefing on the 19th. Yonhap News Agency

The president's SNS use is a double-edged sword. Direct communication with the public can accurately explain policies and clearly convey the president's views, preventing unnecessary speculation and providing clear direction. However, it can also lead public officials to act in accordance with the president's views. There is also a risk that messages may be interpreted in different ways and become a source of conflict. This is especially likely when the content is political. Ultimately, what matters is not the use of SNS itself, but when and how it is used and what it conveys. If SNS is used as a tool for political mobilization, its positive effects will diminish; if used as a tool for policy communication or public relations, its positive effects will grow.

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