Exclusive: Lee praises aide who speaks his mind, gives surprise gift: 'Advisers are not vassals'

"The role of a presidential adviser is to freely offer critical views. Advisers are not vassals."

President Lee Jae Myung publicly praised a senior aide known for frank counsel — and handed him a surprise gift. The gesture was a pointed endorsement of advisers who push back, offer dissenting opinions and chart alternative paths rather than simply nodding along to the president's views.

According to a Cheong Wa Dae official, Lee made the remarks at a morning tea-time meeting with senior secretaries last week, singling out fiscal planning aide Ryu Deok-hyeon by name and presenting him with a small gift he had personally prepared.

The gesture was meant to encourage Ryu, who has consistently offered a range of views to the president on key policy and governance issues, the official said.

By publicly recognizing an aide who voices opinions that differ from his own, Lee also appeared to be sending a broader signal to his staff — urging them to speak with conviction.

Ryu reviews budget requests from individual ministries, assesses policy directions and offers alternative perspectives from a fiscal standpoint. He has also actively served as a "red team" voice in inter-ministerial meetings.

Another Cheong Wa Dae official said that when Policy Chief Ha Joon-kyung served as chief of staff for economic growth, he and Ryu frequently held spirited debates, examining policy from a wide range of angles.

Lee's encouragement was not limited to his in-house staff. At a closed Cabinet session on Tuesday, he also urged ministers to actively voice dissenting views.

Lee said Cabinet members "should actively speak up when they disagree," and added that "a healthy Cabinet meeting is one where people speak freely during discussion sessions."

His remarks underscored his view that open debate and the free exchange of ideas should be the norm in Cabinet sessions covering national affairs.

Lee has long urged officials to engage actively in debate and speak their minds.

At a senior secretaries' meeting he chaired on June 25, he stressed the importance of the second year of his term, saying, "On tasks that are truly necessary for the future, we must persuade, debate and never stop reforming."

He went on to say that "Cheong Wa Dae is a place where new ideas and initiatives matter," adding, "Thinking creatively and proactively, and setting an example — that is the role of a Cheong Wa Dae adviser. Please approach your work with that spirit."