ED Reckless rhetoric at the top

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a policy briefing meeting at Government Complex Sejong Convention Center in Sejong City, Friday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung has been mired in controversy over reckless remarks made while pressuring the heads of two state-run firms to respond to his abrupt questions. His motives for publicly humiliating them in front of Cabinet ministers during a policy briefing on Friday, which was livestreamed, remain unclear.

One thing, however, seems to be certain: Nothing is to be gained if such confrontations are repeated.

Lee’s ire was first directed at Lee Hag-jae, CEO of Incheon International Airport Corp. (IIAC). During a policy briefing involving the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and affiliated public agencies, the president repeatedly pressed the official to answer what appeared to be an unusually specific question. Lee asked whether passengers could illegally carry more than $10,000 in cash without being detected by airport security, and whether $100 bills hidden inside books could be identified during security screening.

Under the Foreign Exchange Transactions Act, travelers carrying foreign currency exceeding $10,000 are required to report it to the Korea Customs Service.

The airport CEO did not respond directly, explaining that the primary role of airport security is to detect prohibited items such as firearms, explosives, flammable materials and sharp objects. He added that identifying unreported foreign currency exceeding $10,000 falls under the jurisdiction of customs officials.

The president reacted angrily, rebuking the official for what he characterized as an unclear response and demanding a simple “yes” or “no” answer as to whether carrying such an amount of foreign currency without reporting it was possible. When the official reiterated his explanation, the president appeared visibly irritated.

“He has been in the position for three years now … but it seems he knows nothing about his job,” he said.

The president may have been dissatisfied with the response, but publicly displaying irritation through sarcastic remarks and humiliating an official in front of other senior officials was inappropriate. His choice of words was also questionable. When the CEO attempted to clarify his explanation, the president retorted, “You’re wordy, but what you said has no substance,” and added, “You must be playing in another place,” a slang expression implying that the airport executive failed to grasp the point.

President Lee’s controversial rhetoric has raised eyebrows among the Korean public who watched the meeting.

Lee also placed himself at the center of controversy through his altercation with Park Ji-hyang, president of the Northeast Asia History Foundation. He asked Park whether she was aware of the debate surrounding a book titled "Hwandangogi" (tentatively translated as “History of Hwanin, Hwanung and Dangun”). The book, believed to have been written in 1911, centers on myths related to Korea’s ancient history. In the narrative, Hwanin is a heavenly god and the father of Hwanung, who in turn is the grandfather of Dangun, the legendary founder of the ancient kingdom of Gojoseon.

Lee then asked Park whether she was aware of a group sometimes referred to as “Hwan fanatics,” a term used to describe those who believe the book is based on historical fact. Park responded that there is a broad consensus among mainstream historians that the book is a work of historical fiction based largely on the author’s imagination. This remark appeared to irritate Lee. Labeling the book “historical literature,” he went on to attack the foundation for what he claimed was its lack of interest in Korea’s ancient history.

Both the IIAC CEO and Park were appointees of former President Yoon Suk Yeol, fueling speculation that Lee may have been expressing discomfort with officials linked to his predecessor. Whether this factor contributed to his apparent hostility remains unknown. Even if it did, Lee’s confrontational reactions toward the officials cannot be justified.

The questions Lee posed were themselves questionable. How many airport officials would be able to answer definitively whether security screening can detect $100 bills hidden inside books? If Lee was personally curious about the airport’s ability to detect the illegal transport of more than $10,000 in unreported foreign currency, he could have raised the issue. What was not warranted was his public outburst and humiliation of an official for failing to provide such highly specific details.

It is undesirable for the nation’s top leader to repeatedly place himself at the center of controversy. More importantly, a president is not expected to create controversies through reckless remarks. Such behavior borders on workplace bullying. Regardless of his position, there are lines a president must not cross. Lee has crossed them several times since his inauguration. If this conduct continues, it will only serve to erode public trust in his leadership.