President Lee Warns Against Bureaucratic 'Grayness' Diluting Policy

President Lee Jae-myung has issued a strong call to his cabinet, urging them to actively combat the pervasive influence of bureaucratic inertia. In a pointed analogy during a State Council meeting, he compared career civil servants to the iconic robot 'Taekwon V,' acknowledging their professional dedication while cautioning against their tendency to become entrenched in their own organizational logic.

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Professional civil servants are like the robot Taekwon V. They have their own distinct colors, but the legal principle is that they have no political colors.

President Lee highlighted a concerning trend where the 'gray' logic of the bureaucracy can seep into and dilute the 'red' or 'blue' mandates given by elected officials. He expressed dismay that the original intentions of the government, reflecting the will of the people, can become obscured by the ingrained routines and perspectives of long-serving officials. This, he warned, leads to a 'darkening' of policy, where the original vibrancy is lost.

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But in reality, the gray color pushes up and the red color becomes gray one day, and the elected officials don't know it well. The people chose red or blue, but later you see that the gray color has permeated everything and it has become dark.

To counter this, the President emphasized the necessity of constant intellectual and ideological struggle. He called upon his ministers to continuously study, understand public needs, and actively resist the pressures from within the bureaucracy. This proactive approach, he believes, is crucial to maintaining the government's responsiveness and effectiveness in serving the public.

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It's not that people are incompetent, it's just that it's inevitable, so we change heads regularly.