DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Elections & Politics

President Lee: Loud reforms may look good but yield few results

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • President Lee Jae-myung stated that reforms pursued loudly might be impressive but are difficult to achieve results.
  • He argued that social reforms are challenging due to strong resistance and often receive less public acclaim than the effort invested.
  • Lee emphasized that reforms should be pursued through persuasion and building consensus, rather than forceful methods, and that pragmatism is not the opposite of reform.

President Lee Jae-myung believes that pursuing reforms with fanfare may be visually appealing but ultimately hinders their successful implementation. Speaking at a State Council meeting, Lee remarked that while loud pronouncements might seem impressive, they tend to intensify resistance, making it difficult to achieve tangible outcomes.

If you shout a lot and make a lot of noise, it might be impressive, but it's difficult to achieve results.

— President Lee Jae-myungPresident Lee commented on the challenges of implementing reforms during a State Council meeting.

Lee addressed recent criticisms suggesting his administration is overly focused on economic growth and neglecting reforms and welfare. He asserted that welfare policies are being expanded as needed and that relevant departments should proceed with planned initiatives. However, he acknowledged the inherent difficulty in social reform, noting that it often involves significant opposition and yields less public celebration compared to the effort expended.

The intensity of resistance is high, and the amount of applause generated by the results of reform can be small. That's why social reform is difficult.

— President Lee Jae-myungLee explained the difficulties associated with social reform, citing resistance and limited public acclaim.

Reflecting on the methods of reform, Lee questioned the effectiveness of aggressive tactics, stating, "Does speaking loudly and pointing fingers lead to good results? While it might feel good, the outcome is unlikely to be positive." He drew a parallel, suggesting that reform is often more challenging than revolution. Lee's remarks come amid internal discussions within the Democratic Party regarding the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation powers, highlighting the sensitive nature of ongoing reform efforts.

Does speaking loudly and pointing fingers lead to good results? While it might feel good, the outcome is unlikely to be positive. That's why reform is more difficult than revolution.

— President Lee Jae-myungThe president discussed the methods of reform, contrasting aggressive tactics with more effective approaches.

President Lee stressed the importance of persuasion and building broad consensus for reforms to be effective. He advocated for a gradual and practical approach, where changes are implemented sequentially until they become an accepted reality. "The process of gaining consensus is difficult and can take time," he noted. Lee also challenged the notion that pragmatism is antithetical to reform, asserting that the two are not mutually exclusive and that a practical approach is essential for successful, lasting change.

We need to persuade, gain consensus on the legitimacy, and implement it sequentially and effectively so that people say, 'It has changed at some point.'

— President Lee Jae-myungLee outlined his preferred approach to reform, emphasizing consensus-building and gradual implementation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog