President's 'Everyone': Who Remains Outside the Circle?

One year into President Lee Jae-myung's term, the promise to be a president for "everyone" remains a focal point, particularly for those who felt excluded in the past. For individuals like Joo, a 31-year-old activist with a physical disability, the word "everyone" carried significant weight, especially after experiencing threats of exclusion under the previous administration. While Joo acknowledges an increase in those feeling included under the current presidency, the true meaning of "everyone" is still unfolding through the president's actions and policies.

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I will be a president who embraces and serves everyone.

President Lee has shown empathy and expressed anger over issues affecting marginalized communities, such as stalking victims, migrant workers subjected to violence, and those affected by fraudulent housing deals. He has welcomed legislation supporting disability rights and the revision of the special act on 전세 (jeonse) scams, emphasizing the need to uphold promises. His administration has also called for strict responses to hate speech and insults, contributing to a stable approval rating above 60%.

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I wonder with what heart the president used the word 'everyone.' I had some expectations.

However, significant segments of the population feel left behind. Jeong Young-eun, representative of the Seoul Feminist University Student Association, noted that despite the president's empathy towards victims of violence, she did not feel his anger extended to their specific grievances, particularly concerning gender-based discrimination. Lee Cheol-bin, co-chair of the national committee for 전세 scam victims, expressed a sense of alienation, stating, "It feels like we are not yet recognized as citizens." Park Kyung-seok of the National Federation of Persons with Disabilities also voiced frustration, feeling that despite the president's acknowledgment of the challenges faced by people with disabilities, their specific demands for rights and regional integration are not being fully met.

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It feels like we are not yet recognized as citizens.

These groups are not asking for grand gestures but for clear acknowledgment of their pain and a decisive stance against discrimination. They hope to be unequivocally included as part of the "everyone" the president vowed to serve. The article points out specific instances where the president's response, while strong against certain acts of violence, lacked the explicit naming of systemic issues like 'femicide' or the specific rights of undocumented migrant workers, leaving some feeling that the underlying structural problems were not fully addressed.

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We are still waiting, hoping to be called a member of 'everyone' just once.