'The President's Y' Debuts; Lee: "Even Unannounced Live Streams from the Office"... A Bold Push for Communication

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"I'm thinking about occasionally going live without notice, even from the presidential office."

Amid a growing chorus of calls for President Lee Jae-myung to scale back his social media activity, he said he instead intends to expand communication. He even floated the idea of going live without prior notice from the presidential office. Lee made clear that he would not back down despite the controversy surrounding his social media use, saying he would not have reached his current position if he had not communicated directly with the public.

President Lee Jaemyung answers a question from anchor Son Jungeun while appearing on the YouTube program "The President's Y," filmed at Sangchunjae in the Blue House on the 4th. (Photo: Screenshot from YouTube KTV)

In the first episode of the Blue House YouTube program "The President's Y" on Nov. 5, Lee responded to criticism that he should reduce his social media activity by saying, "There is a point to that." However, he added, "I don't think controversy is something to fear. The more rational debate and discussion there is, the better."

Lee countered that the criticism, "Why is the president on social media?" was no different from asking, "Why does the president go out into the field to meet people?" He added, "I think there are people living on social media, too," and said, "I often get ideas from there."

Some have criticized Lee for going too far by quoting and rebutting posts by ordinary social media users. In response, he explained that citing posts that criticize him or contain false claims can help the public see contrasting positions side by side. Asked whether he should also check the past records of people whose posts he quotes, he said, "What that person said in the past ... we're having a conversation about the present now," adding, "That's hard to accept."

Lee also made clear that he has no intention of scaling back his social media activity. Saying that he even reads abusive and critical comments, he said, "I've developed a thick skin. There's no need to worry." He added, "I should make extensive use of it. I plan to expand it further."

His remarks linking direct communication with the public to his political survival also drew attention. "Throughout my life, I've faced countless attacks. There have been many times when the media, politicians and those in power all attacked me," Lee said. "If I hadn't communicated directly with the public at those times, I probably wouldn't be where I am now." He described direct communication as "a lifeline for me."

President Lee Jaemyung answers a question from anchor Son Jungeun while appearing on the YouTube program “The President's Y,” filmed at Sangchunjae in Cheong Wa Dae on the 4th. (Photo: Screenshot from YouTube KTV)

Lee also said he has no intention of reducing live broadcasts of Cabinet meetings. Recalling his past remark, "If Cabinet meetings had been open to the public, would martial law have been possible?" he stressed, "The affairs of state belong to the people." Regarding his recent inaccurate explanation of statistics related to suicide, he acknowledged that his wording had been erroneous but said that was no reason to stop making the information public.

He also cited the newly appointed special inspector's oversight of those in power as an example of the benefits of transparent administration. "The special inspector is also carrying out their work," Lee said, "because it is desirable for even that to be made public." He stressed that senior Blue House officials, their family members and staff would be more careful if they knew the special inspector could launch an investigation at any time, helping prevent abuses of power and build trust.

Lee also outlined plans to expand live broadcasts to strengthen communication. Referring to the pre-recorded first episode, he proposed, "Let's not be too afraid and do it live." He also raised the possibility of going live without prior notice from the presidential office, saying, "I'll try something new."

"The President's Y," which premiered that day, is a Blue House YouTube program in which the president directly explains state affairs and the background to policy decisions and answers questions from the public. The title combines the first letter of YouTube with "why," and follows the existing social media account "The President's X." Son Jungeun, a former MBC announcer, hosted the program. The first episode comprised three segments: "The President's Dilemma," "Retweeting with Words" and "The President's Daily Life."

President Lee Jaemyung answers a question from anchor Son Jungeun during an appearance on the YouTube program "The President's Y" at Sangchunjae in Cheong Wa Dae on the 4th. (Photo: Screenshot from KTV's YouTube channel)

Lee also answered a question prepared in advance by a member of the public about electronic ankle monitors, saying the government was preparing to increase monitoring staff and strengthen the management system. In a conversation about daily life, he said he sleeps about six hours a day on average.

At the end of the broadcast, Lee read aloud a line from the drama The Light in Your Eyes, which the host had prepared in advance, and said, "You really have to live. What could be more precious than life?" He also said the term "accompanying suicide," used to describe incidents in which family members die by suicide together, should be changed. "There are family members who are killed without being able to make that decision. Those described as 'accompanying' also have the will and the right to live," he said.

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