President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday took an apparent jab at the opposition bloc in a continuation of controversy surrounding his social media posts, accusing the critics of meddling in affairs beyond their depth.
In a post titled “Those Who Kibitz in Myeonginjeon Because They Play a Bit of Gomoku,” Lee appeared to take aim at opposition politicians who have criticized his social media posts concerning alleged human rights violations in the Middle East. "Gomoku" is a board game often considered to be for children or training for the more complex game Go, and "Myeonginjeon" is a Go competition for the country’s leading Go players.
“It’s fine to kibitz, but the table must not be turned upside down,” Lee wrote.
“(The critics) Appear ready to side with Martians who invade Earth as they obsess over a family feud, but shouldn’t we save the Earth first?” he wrote, accusing the opposition of missing the broader issue due to their focus on domestic politics.
Lee’s social media posts have drawn intensified criticism from South Korean conservatives since he reposted an X video post claiming to show Israeli soldiers pushing a body off a roof on Friday.
In his initial post, Lee said that if the video is true, then the matter must be looked into and follow up measures taken, and that "wartime homicide is no different from matters that we take issue with, such as the forced (enslavement of) comfort women and the massacre of Jewish people."
A follow up post the same day clarified that the video is from 2024, and that the incident was investigated by Israeli authorities, with Lee adding, “International humanitarian law must be observed, and human dignity must be recognized as a value that are non-negotiable."
Lee’s initial post, however, drew criticism from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which wrote that Lee’s criticism of Israel over an already resolved issue was “unacceptable.” The South Korean president then criticized the Israeli ministry’s post, saying that he was raising a human rights issue and that Israel could reflect on concerns being raised around the globe.
South Korea’s conservatives also took issue with Lee’s posts, accusing him of taking issue with Israel while turning a blind eye to North Korean human rights, and causing diplomatic friction with Israel.
cheesuk@heraldcorp.com
