Lee defends blocking abusive accounts, rebuffs criticism over 'joa-hage' remark

President Lee Jae Myung said Sunday that accounts which "pour filth and disrupt public discourse must be blocked in order to keep that space healthy."

Writing on X, formerly Twitter, Lee said "it is only natural to throw out a ruffian who barges into someone's yard and hurls abuse," according to Yonhap. The remarks were seen as a rebuttal to criticism from some quarters over his practice of blocking users who had left hostile comments on his social media posts.

In the same post, Lee recalled an episode involving the late Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon, describing him as "an outstanding ideas man who always emphasized communication with citizens and enjoyed it," and "the person who opened my eyes to the importance of communication and SNS as a tool for it."

Lee said that on one occasion Park had lamented that his own SNS account was flooded with abusive comments, yet agonized over the dilemma: "I can't block people if I'm supposed to be communicating with them."

Lee said he advised Park at the time: "Spewing filth through abuse, insults and sneering in a space meant for communication is not communication — it is obstruction of communication. Blocking such filth is what actually makes genuine communication possible. I block everyone I see doing it, and if it's serious I report them too." He added that Park subsequently blocked and removed the offending accounts.

Lee then wrote: "I naturally do not block people simply for expressing opposing views or criticism. Opinions offered with dignity and courtesy — whether elegantly or 'joa-hage' — are always welcome."

"Joa-hage" is internet slang used on some online communities, formed by swapping the "u" in "u-a-hage" — meaning "elegantly" or "gracefully" — with "joa," the Korean word for "left." Lee's recent use of the term on social media drew criticism from conservative opposition figures, who called it language that "looks only toward one political camp."

Lee rebuffed that criticism as well, saying "'Joa-hage' is not a term from Ilbe but one used in the democratic-reform camp since the era of President Moon Jae-in" — a playful twist on the word "elegantly." He also expressed frustration, writing: "The world is harsh and busy, but I hope people can occasionally look up at a clear sky, glance around, and enjoy wit, humor and a bit of fun. Gravity, seriousness and authority are important virtues, but let us also guard against 'excessive seriousness' — treating a drama series as a documentary."

In a separate post on X, Lee also wrote: "Someone who has lived their whole life in comfort, riding on their parents' coattails and rising to high office without hardship, cannot easily understand the lives and mindset of ordinary people who struggle."

He continued: "Can people who enjoy every luxury on the taxpayers' dime, yet are harsher toward the powerless and cut meager welfare budgets for ordinary people without a second thought — can they truly understand the feelings of someone who cannot afford a few thousand won for fruit, who agonizes over tens of thousands of won, who skips meals, who wonders whether to just embrace their family and die?"

Lee added that "constantly looking into the back alleys of life and looking after those in the lowest and hardest places is what governance, administration and politics are for," and that those in power must know that "a carelessly swung blade can cut lives they never even imagined."

Lee did not identify in the post who he meant by "those in power who swing a blade without thinking." However, some observers interpreted the references to cutting "meager welfare budgets for ordinary people" as a veiled jab at Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae, who has been at odds with the provincial assembly over sweeping budget cuts — including to livelihood programs — that she has justified on fiscal grounds.