ED Pitfalls of Lee's social media outreach

President Lee Jae Myung has expressed his willingness to strengthen direct communication with the Korean public, saying he will use social media more actively than before.

An aide explained that Lee was inspired by Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum. During his recent summit with the Mexican leader, Lee reportedly learned that Sheinbaum makes it a rule to hold four press conferences and conduct three on-site visits every week to interact with citizens. Her active public outreach has become a source of inspiration for Lee.

A president’s efforts to engage directly with the public are encouraging and desirable. Such communication can help dispel public misunderstandings about government policies and give citizens a better understanding of the administration’s objectives.

Despite these benefits, however, Lee should remember that presidential social media accounts are not private chatrooms. They are platforms through which a president should convey messages of hope and unity, rather than provoke division or controversy.

For politicians, direct communication with the public is a double-edged sword. Depending on how it is used, it can make or break their political careers. Used wisely, it can help politicians explain and defend their policies effectively and persuade the public of their merits.

Direct public engagement can also reflect a politician’s confidence and command of the issues. Politicians who communicate directly with citizens often face situations in which they must respond quickly to unexpected questions or criticism. The better informed they are, the more readily they can provide convincing answers.

The opposite, however, is also true. Given the weight of presidential rhetoric, impromptu remarks can be risky because a president’s words are difficult to retract once they have been made public. This is one of the pitfalls of direct, on-the-spot communication by political leaders.

Lee is already an active social media user. So far this month, he averaged six posts a day on X (formerly Twitter), publishing 65 posts between Oct. 1 and 11. On Saturday, he vowed to continue sharing his views on social media despite criticism from those who consider his online activities inappropriate. “I will continue to visit back alleys and do my direct communications with the public,” he wrote.

Lee also invoked the late former President Roh Moo-hyun to draw a parallel between their experiences. He noted that Roh, too, faced criticism and even ridicule while engaging with a social media user who challenged him. On Sunday, Lee wrote that the late former Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon had reminded him of the importance of social media as a means for politicians to communicate with citizens.

Yet Lee’s social media posts have often generated controversy rather than fostered constructive and healthy debate on policy issues. On Oct. 9, he criticized a group of unnamed politicians for harboring excessive ambitions despite their limited qualifications.

“They are radical. This is relatively an insignificant problem, compared to the fundamental one they had. They wanted highly coveted positions which go far beyond their capabilities. They turned into critics from within after their requests were ignored,” he wrote.

Although Lee did not identify the individuals, his remarks appeared to target hard-liners within the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) who criticized what they described as his “lukewarm” and “passive” approach to prosecutorial reform. Rep. Kim Yong-min, a DPK lawmaker regarded as one of the hard-liners, responded swiftly on social media, saying he had entered politics not to secure a plum job but to achieve prosecutorial reform.

On Sunday, Lee criticized another unnamed politician for allegedly ignoring the hardships and basic needs of working-class citizens. He said the politician had cut welfare spending intended for working-class families. Once again, Lee did not name the person, but his remarks appeared to be directed at Gyeonggi Province Gov. Choo Mi-ae who had cut the child care budget, citing a shortage of financial resources.

So far, Lee’s social media-driven politics has raised eyebrows because his posts have been overly personal and confrontational. Rather than promoting constructive discussion, they have fueled divisions within the ruling party and risked deepening political polarization. What does Lee stand to gain if his social media posts repeatedly trigger controversy?

A president’s social media account is not a private space. As the head of state and government, Lee must recognize that his online presence carries official weight. Every word he posts can have political consequences and shape public perceptions of his administration. He should therefore exercise caution and prudence in his online communications.

Direct engagement with citizens can be a valuable tool for a president, but its purpose should be to build trust and bring people together. Lee should use social media to promote national unity, not deepen divisions.