President Lee Jae-myung said agitation by "reckless extremists" who mislead the public based on falsehoods or without the slightest evidence is spreading like a fad.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, on the night of the 4th, Lee wrote that reckless extremism must be guarded against everywhere, whether on the left or the right, at the front or in the rear.
Lee also said that those in positions of authority who must bear responsibility should act and answer for the results rather than simply make claims. Radical assertions that cannot be backed up and baseless agitation often stem not from concern for the people and the nation but from selfishness — a desire to draw attention to oneself and claim sole credit for reform achievements, he said.
Lee went on to say that in an age of post-truth, where blind factional confrontation has become routine and taking sides matters more than the truth, making assertions, speculating and stirring up agitation without even checking basic facts can look like competence. Still, he stressed, society will ultimately return to one grounded in facts and governed by reason.
Lee did not specify what he was referring to with the term he used for the extremists or with "radical assertions." Some observers read the remarks as directed at hardline supporters within the broader pro-government camp who have objected to the appointment of Kim Ji-yong as head of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.
Separately, on the 5th, Lee shared on X an article reporting that the Ministry of Justice had recovered assets belonging to pro-Japanese collaborator Kim Han-gyu, saying he would thoroughly reclaim such assets even if it requires expanding personnel, budget and organization.
Lee added that the country must ensure the saying that collaborating with Japan brings three generations of wealth while joining the independence movement brings three generations of poverty is never heard again.
