Lee Questions Politicians' 'Qualifications'

President Lee Jae-myung has made successive remarks questioning politicians' abilities, motives, and morality. An internal conflict within the ruling party over presidential personnel appointments is evolving into a dispute over politicians' 'qualifications.'

On the 11th, the president wrote on his SNS, "It is difficult for someone who has lived a comfortable life all their lives thanks to their parents' favor and held high positions without hardship to understand the lives and awareness of struggling ordinary citizens."

He continued, criticizing "those who enjoy all sorts of luxuries with ordinary citizens' tax money while being harsher on the powerless, and who unhesitatingly cut small welfare budgets for ordinary people," and emphasized that "one must know that the blade carelessly wielded by those in power can wound lives unforeseen and unconsidered."

The president did not mention a specific individual. However, political circles are interpreting the remarks as directed at Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, who has recently faced controversy over welfare budget cuts and so-called 'government property use' issues involving residences and official vehicles.

Particular attention is focused on the fact that the remarks came immediately after Governor Choo issued a statement the previous day clarifying that "the suspicion of arbitrary budget cuts is not factual" regarding the childcare budget controversy.

This is not the first time the president has questioned politicians' competency.

Earlier, on the 9th, he criticized, "It is more problematic when those lacking ability demand high positions, and when they try to run personnel appointments and national policies as they wish, and after failing, they raise radical reforms as a justification and attack internally."

That remark was interpreted as targeting hardliners within the ruling party who have opposed the appointment of Kim Ji-yong, the inaugural candidate for director of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency.

Governor Choo has characterized Kim as a 'pro-Yoon prosecutor' and questioned the appropriateness of his appointment. In contrast, President Lee rebutted that Kim is a 'pro-reform prosecutor' and expressed a critical stance toward efforts to intervene in personnel appointments and policies under the guise of prosecutorial reform.

The exchange between the two shows differences in targets and methods of attack. While Governor Choo questioned the suitability of the president's personnel choice, President Lee raised doubts about the political motives and qualifications of those who criticized the appointment.

On the 9th, he questioned ability and political motives; on the 11th, he questioned sense of privilege and empathy for ordinary people. While the specific targets of criticism were not clearly identified, commonalities can be found in the succession of remarks questioning politicians' qualifications and attitudes.

In particular, as the president has gone beyond directly rebutting criticism of personnel matters to questioning the motives of critics themselves, the focus of the debate is shifting.

Beyond the question of whether the personnel appointment was appropriate, the issue of what motives and qualifications those critics have to question the appointment has also been raised.

The question the president posed at the end of his statement was ultimately directed at politicians' reason for existence.

"Why do we engage in politics? A question we in politics must constantly recall."