President Lee thanks Park Jin-young for 'dedication' ahead of national audit testimony

President Lee Jae Myung expressed gratitude Tuesday to Park Jin-young, co-chair of the Popular Culture Exchange Committee, who is set to appear as a witness before the National Assembly's national audit, saying "the people of Korea and the cultural history of Korea will remember Park Jin-young's dedication and hard work."

Lee made the remarks on X, formerly Twitter, writing that he was "deeply sorry and regretful" that Park had not received proper recognition despite volunteering his time and spending his own money to promote Korean cultural exports.

"On behalf of the people, I extend my gratitude," Lee added. "I hope that, even if there is any lingering disappointment, you will set it aside and continue to work to bring K-pop and Korean culture to the world."

Park is scheduled to appear as a witness at the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee audit of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism on Wednesday.

In connection with the appearance, Park said on SBS Radio's "Kim Tae-hyun's Politics Show" on Tuesday that he chose to appear as a witness — rather than as a reference person — because testifying under the threat of perjury penalties would show that "promoting the public interest is truly my purpose."

Lee also posted separately on X about improving conditions for military service members, saying he intended to "work on many policies that will make the period of military service more helpful to soldiers as they plan their lives," adding that post-service compensation alone was not enough.

The posts accompanied a news article reporting that a revision to the Basic Pension Act — allowing soldiers discharged from next year onward to have their entire period of military service counted toward their national pension eligibility — passed a plenary session of the National Assembly on Thursday.

Lee called the bill's passage "late, but fortunate," while also noting that it "still falls far short of the compensation owed to the young Koreans who dedicate their youth to the nation."