Cheong Wa Dae says commenting on ruling party leader's 'short-lived regime' remark is not appropriate

A Cheong Wa Dae official said Wednesday that the presidential office would not comment on remarks by Democratic Party of Korea leader Jung Chung-rae, who told a party supreme council meeting that "the people are eternal, but a regime is short-lived."

The official spoke to reporters at a press center in Brussels, Belgium, saying the presidential office did not consider it appropriate to directly address matters concerning the National Assembly or internal party affairs.

Asked about Jung's absence from the airport send-off for President Lee Jae Myung's European tour the previous day, the official cut the question short, saying a political interpretation of the absence "is not particularly appropriate."

The official added that the send-off had been kept to a minimum given the overall circumstances — including the Middle East war stretching past 100 days and serious concerns about damage to citizens' voting rights in connection with issues at the National Election Commission.

When a reporter followed up by asking why Prime Minister Kim Min-seok — who might seem more directly relevant to the Middle East situation — had attended the send-off, the official said Kim came to the airport because the president needed to issue work instructions to the cabinet before departing on an extended overseas trip.

On the president's repeated social media posts during the trip, the official said they reflected Lee's renewed commitment, on the occasion of his first anniversary in office, to listening more closely to the public. The official added that Lee "always listens to the voices and opinions of the people delivered through various channels."

On Wednesday alone, Lee posted eight times on X, formerly Twitter, sharing his views on rural basic income, a drop in approval ratings, a whistleblower reward program and the issue of police officers being mocked at a protest site in Jamsil.