'Radical claims, incitement driven by selfishness, not reform'
'Truth will ultimately prevail over falsehood,' Lee says
President Lee Jae Myung called Sunday for vigilance against "irresponsible extremism regardless of whether it comes from the left or the right, the front lines or the rear."
Lee made the remarks in a post on X, adding that the call applied "even more so to those in positions of authority who must bear responsibility." He added that those in such positions "must act rather than merely advocate, and be accountable for the results."
He went on to say that "radical claims one cannot be held accountable for, and groundless incitement, often stem not from concern for the people or the nation but from a selfish desire to stand out and monopolize the fruits of reform." He also said that in an era of post-truth politics, where blind partisan rivalry has become routine and taking sides matters more than the truth, "making sweeping assertions, wild speculation and incitement without even checking basic facts can appear to some as a sign of competence."
Lee said that, as seen worldwide, South Korean society was also witnessing the spread of "irresponsible extremists — so-called 'mugeukpa' — who deceive and mislead the public based on falsehoods or without even a minimum of evidence." He stressed, however, that "ultimately, justice will prevail and society will return to one where reason operates on the basis of facts."
He added that this was because "the Korean people, who have the strength and resilience to build a model democracy, a top-10 economy and a globally recognized cultural powerhouse in the 80 years since liberation, are still here."
sunpine@heraldcorp.com
