[비즈한국] President Lee Jae-myung stated in his Chuseok holiday message, “At times, even if I have to give my all, and even if I have to endure finger-pointing and misunderstandings, I will not refuse anything if it can be of even the slightest help to the lives of the people.”
On the 7th, President Lee Jae-myung posted on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter), saying, “As I mentioned in my Chuseok greetings, the reality of people's livelihoods is by no means easy, making it difficult to fully enjoy the holiday season.” He added, “Even so, I hope this will be a time to support one another, share stories of hope, and find the courage to smile together with the people you love.”
Finally, President Lee added, “I promise once again to look after the present and the future of the people’s livelihoods with a humbler heart and closer attention.”
These remarks appear to be a response to the controversy surrounding his appearance on the JTBC variety show ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ following the fire at the National Information Resources Service. The Chuseok special episode featuring President Lee Jae-myung and his wife became the center of political debate.
In the episode of ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ aired on the 6th, President Lee Jae-myung remarked, “While culture like K-pop or dramas is important, the true core of culture is food. In terms of exporting Korean culture, food is a major force that fosters the Republic of Korea industrially.” On this day, the presidential couple introduced seasonal ingredients such as dried radish greens (siraegi), Korean beef, and codonopsis (deodeok), which the chefs used to create Korean dishes.
According to the rating agency Nielsen Korea, the episode of ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ featuring President Lee recorded an 8.9% viewership rating, the highest in the program's history. The Chuseok special was originally scheduled to air on the night of the 5th, but the presidential office requested a delay after an official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, responsible for national computing network issues, passed away.
The People Power Party continues to criticize President Lee’s appearance on ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator.’ They argue that by filming the show on the day of the fire at the National Information Resources Service, the president missed the golden time to handle the disaster.
In response to this criticism, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung stated on the 4th, “Immediately after returning from his visit to the U.S. on the night of the 26th, President Lee received reports on the fire situation, closely monitored the damage and government response, and issued the necessary instructions. A Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting was held on the 27th presided over by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, and the fire was completely extinguished by 6 p.m. that day.” She also noted that the broadcast filming took place between the morning emergency meeting and the afternoon Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters meeting.
On the 5th, People Power Party spokesperson Son Bum-kyu criticized JTBC, stating, “Instead of a one-day delay, please cancel the broadcast. Furthermore, please clarify whether the decision for President Lee Jae-myung and his wife to appear on ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ was a request from the presidential office or a proposal from JTBC.”
On the 6th, People Power Party lawmaker Joo Jin-woo announced on his social media that he had filed a criminal complaint against presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung and Democratic Party chief spokesperson Park Soo-hyun for defamation by publishing false information. He explained that they gave a false briefing claiming that “lawmaker Joo Jin-woo’s issue regarding filming ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ after the National Information Resources Service fire is based on false facts,” with the intent of hiding the timing of the variety show filming from the public.
Previously, the Democratic Party of Korea announced it would take legal action against lawmaker Joo Jin-woo, stating, “Stop these behaviors that only incite national confusion through distortion.”