By Kang Hyun-kyung
President Lee Myung-bak adopted a new way to increase communication with the people despite his busy schedule.
Over the past year or so, Lee has sent many text messages to “unsung heroes” that he cannot meet in person due to schedule conflicts but still feels the need to tell that his heart goes out to them.
Those who received the presidential text messages include civil servants involved in the burial of animals infected with foot-and-mouth disease and firefighters who saved lives while their own were on the line.
Lee also sent a sympathetic text Thursday to soccer player Lee Chung-yong of Bolton Wanderers who broke his leg in two places in a match Saturday.
In the message, the President was quoted as having sent his best wishes to Lee.
President Lee also said that he was relieved after hearing that the surgery went well, adding he was looking forward to seeing the soccer star playing again after recovering quickly from the injury.
Lee, a midfielder, dropped out of middle school back in 2003 to join a professional team. He played a starring role in the World Cup, scoring goals against Argentina and Uruguay.
Inspired by his story, President Lee has reportedly tried hard to squeeze in time to watch the player’s match in his busy schedule.
The President texted the unsung heroes who helped the nation win the bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang but were not at the presidential dinner list held a few weeks ago.
Some of them were quoted as wondering if the messages were really from the President.
Cheong Wa Dae reporters, who accompanied Lee’s recent Africa tour in July, also received text messages about a week after they returned to Seoul.
In the messages, Lee expressed his gratitude to the journalists for their hard work in Ethiopia’s urban slums where they, along with Lee, disinfected toilets, cleaned streets and played soccer with children living there.
Presidential staff working for the public relations division said Lee’s text massages have drawn a very positive response from those who received them.
“I know one aide of a lawmaker who received a text message from president Lee last year. He got the message after playing a key role in pushing for the passage of a major bill in parliament,” said a presidential aide.
“After receiving the message, he was not sure if it was really from the President. So he called the sender back to figure out who it was. President Lee himself answered the phone.”
Presidential staff said text messages are a one-on-one communication tool between the President and those who receive his message and therefore this has a real impact of improving the receiver’s perception of the head of state.