President Lee: "Highway Rest Stop Cartel Is No Small Matter, But We Will Definitely Root It Out"

Lee: "You will soon find rest stops that are enjoyable to visit"

President Lee Jaemyung emphasized on Nov. 2, "All kinds of cartels that our society must overcome still remain. The highway rest stop cartel is a formidable one, but we will dismantle it without fail."

President Lee posted the remarks on X (formerly Twitter) that day, adding, "You will soon find rest stops that are enjoyable to visit."

President Lee Jaemyung delivers an address on the 2027 budget at the National Assembly on Nov. 2, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Along with the post, President Lee shared an article reporting that the Korea Expressway Corporation is inviting vendors to take part in a pilot direct-contracting program at eight highway rest stops nationwide.

In a briefing by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in December 2025, President Lee had criticized the food at highway rest stops, asking, "Why is it so expensive when it doesn't even taste good?"

Former chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik also chaired a senior secretaries' meeting in May 2026 and instructed officials to "promptly draw up measures to prevent preferential treatment for former officials, so that rest stops are operated in accordance with principles and common sense."

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