President Lee Jae-myung on the 14th said the government will speed up a review to establish a dedicated youth policy body to address the polarization of employment, asset, and income among young people, and that youth policy should be given top priority in next year's budget proposal and in mid- to long-term national fiscal projects. He also called for a thorough fact-finding probe into the recent controversy over alleged infringement of suffrage and sharply criticized the spread of conspiracy theories about election fraud.
Lee, who is on a tour of Europe, said in his opening remarks at the 37th senior secretaries' meeting held by video that "the second year of the popular sovereignty government's state affairs is getting fully underway," adding, "if the first year was a time to restore order after an insurrection and draw up a blueprint for governance, the second year should aim to build the institutional foundation for key tasks."
He went on to stress close cooperation and communication with the National Assembly, saying, "if necessary, we must visit both the ruling and opposition parties until the threshold is worn down and throw our full weight behind a legislative speed battle."
On the economy, Lee said, "the nominal GDP growth rate in the first quarter reached 10.5%, marking a 50-year record high, and with exports growing every month, there are even projections that gross national income could reach $40,000 this year."
However, he said, "the triple hardship of polarization in employment, asset, and income faced by young people, the future of our society, is very serious," adding, "according to the first-quarter survey of monthly nominal income of household heads, the 2030 youth generation was the only age group whose income declined among all generations."
He continued, "we must speed up the review to establish a dedicated youth policy body," and "youth policy must be considered the top priority in next year's budget proposal and in mid- to long-term national fiscal projects."
He added, "it is also necessary to consider developing and using a youth perception index across the full range of policies, including jobs, startups, housing, education, and welfare," and "we must be able to evaluate how each policy affects the lives of young people."
On disaster response in the summer, Lee said, "although the heat waves and rainy season have not yet begun in earnest, now is the time to meticulously review all related measures," ordering stronger management of high-risk facilities, safety measures for the public during extreme heat, and plans to minimize care gaps during school vacations.
He also reiterated the need for proactive and agile administration, saying, "we must always preemptively look after people's livelihoods," and again emphasized active administration in the public sector.
Regarding the recent controversy over infringement of suffrage, he said, "we acknowledge and accept the public's legitimate raising of issues about the infringement of suffrage, which is fundamental to democracy," but added, "there are forces exploiting this to incite absurd conspiracy theories."
Lee criticized, "this situation, triggered by the election commission's poor management of voting, has left a serious blemish on K-democracy and on the national stature of the Republic of Korea," adding, "however, spreading the fraudulent election theory by claiming manipulation of election results distorts the essence of the issue and is antisocial behavior that insults the people's voice."
He added, "some are obstructing duties by harming on-site police officers, threatening citizens, or blocking access," and stressed, "appropriate accountability must be pursued in accordance with the law and principles."
He also said, "to turn the case of infringement of public suffrage into an opportunity to strengthen democracy and popular sovereignty, a thorough and transparent fact-finding is needed," adding, "the election commission must fully cooperate with the National Assembly's special committee for a parliamentary probe, and the joint investigation headquarters of prosecutors and police must hold all responsible to account without sanctuary."
Meanwhile, regarding his Europe tour, Lee said, "the first Europe tour since the launch of the administration has reached its halfway point," and evaluated that "we are achieving a considerable level of reciprocal results in various fields, including trade, defense industry, and security." He added, "we will smoothly wrap up the remaining schedule and further solidify the foundation of strategic, practical diplomacy that protects the national interest amid a rapidly changing international order."