President Lee Jae-myung said on the 3rd, "I am not the opposition leader or the ruling party leader, and now that I am serving as the president who represents all of South Korea, I must carry out a unifying administration that can bring the people together," adding, "It is risky to only appoint people who are pleasing or similar in color."
On the same day, President Lee conveyed this during a press conference marking the 30th day of his inauguration held at the Blue House guesthouse, stating, "There are complaints related to recent personnel changes, and there are also deficiencies. It is true that there were suggestions that we should have chosen better people."
President Lee noted, "There seems to be aspects that do not meet the expectations of the people or our support base. If I had chosen someone who matched our color better, it might have been a bit smoother, faster, and minimized conflicts," adding, "Differences can be uncomfortable, but they can also be the source of synergy."
He continued, "Cement, gravel, sand, and water must be mixed to make concrete," stating, "If you just gather a lot of cement, it becomes a block of cement; if you only gather sand, it becomes a pile of sand."
Regarding the recent prosecutor personnel changes, President Lee specifically mentioned, "There is a limitation that only civil servants can be used. If we select only from those who support us and resemble us, there will be nothing left," emphasizing, "We must make the most use of the available resources. As long as they have individual capabilities, are loyal to the country, and possess the basic qualities of not engaging in corruption, they will be directed to move in the direction the leader commands."
He added, "Sometimes, I criticize the public service as 'soulless sunflowers', but such criticism should not be made," clarifying, "It is the duty of professional civil servants to follow the commanders representing the will of the people. This is not only a legal obligation but also how they are trained."
He stated, "We must use it as much as possible. If there is something wrong, we must correct it, and if something is lacking, we must fill it, working together," saying, "Considering these aspects complexly in personnel decisions, I receive praise on one hand, but criticism on the other."
He added, "Personnel decisions themselves are not goals or objectives but rather a means to carry out policy tasks," noting, "If we start to exclude people based on whom we are 'close to' or have 'relationships with', it can develop into political retaliation."