President Lee Jae-myung said during a special lecture on the 14th for new civil servants, "I will create a public service atmosphere where no responsibility is ever asked for actions made by front-line civil servants based on their own judgment and good intentions." He also emphasized 'integrity' as an essential attitude for public officials, stating, "Money is the devil."
◇It has been 20 years since Roh, and the president speaks directly in a lecture
On this day, President Lee delivered a lecture for the 70th class of new manager trainees at the Jincheon National Human Resources Development Institute, with the theme 'The Era of National Sovereignty and the Path of Public Officials.' He remarked, "Since some day, an odd atmosphere has emerged where if a civil servant fails, they are asked, 'Why did you make that decision?'" He noted, "This has led public officials to decide not to take responsibility for anything outside their mandatory duties."
He added, "I will do my best to ensure that public officials are not held accountable for actions taken in good faith for other purposes. I will change both the system and the atmosphere." He continued, "The possibilities during the choice and decision-making stage of public officials are limitless. If, afterwards, they are held accountable and evaluated by saying, 'There was a better decision than that,' it is like asking a public official to be a god. One just needs to do their best as a person."
◇“I have been defamed as a corrupt person… Money is the devil"
The theme that took the longest to discuss was 'integrity.' President Lee said, "I have faced all kinds of defamation and attacks as a corrupt person, and some may think, 'Who is that person?,' but I have truly managed my life fiercely," adding, "Money is the devil." This statement reflects his ongoing trials regarding violations of public election law and allegations of corruption related to the Daejang-dong and Baekhyeon-dong development projects and illegal sponsorship of Seongnam FC.
He also detailed his experiences during his tenure as mayor of Seongnam. President Lee stated, "I've often said this since I was mayor of Seongnam: 'Money is the devil.'" He explained that this devil appears in the guise of the most beautiful angel, implying that meals or drinks, golf, and other forms of hospitality, justified by good intentions, ultimately lead to the exchange of quid pro quo money, which can transform one into a lawbreaker.
President Lee remarked, "If I receive a lot of gifts in that way, I will build up a tolerance and, one day, realize that the other party has written everything down in their accounts." He continued, "So I avoid doing anything that could become a problem and do not meet unnecessarily with contractors. That is the safest approach," adding, "Money is so terrifying that I consider it 'the devil,' and if you are cautious, life will become easier."
◇“What stands out the most? The stock prices went up”
As criteria for choosing public officials, he cited ▲direction ▲diligence ▲technique (capability). President Lee stated, "The criterion I use when selecting public officials is 'direction,'" explaining, "Most people think ability is important, but if someone with excellent technical abilities uses them to seek personal gain, that will ruin the country. Therefore, direction is important." He reiterated the 'lives of 52 million' mantra he emphasizes at every Cabinet meeting, saying, "Many people's lives depend on the flick of your fingers without you even batting an eye. Therefore, your mindset is important."
He introduced his personnel management style during his tenure as a local government leader, where after publicizing promotion scales, team members ranked their 'colleagues they want to promote' and 'colleagues they think should not be promoted.' President Lee mentioned, "When ranking who you want to promote and who you think shouldn't, the top 1-5 ranks were almost the same," adding, "Following that process, I found that civil service appointments didn’t receive much criticism."
When asked about the most memorable event since taking office more than a month ago, President Lee replied, "It’s about the stock prices going up." In response to the question, 'What should one do if a policy they believe is right faces public opposition?' he stated, "It’s an important question and one I will face many times in the future." He added, "I have a high trust in collective intelligence. While it may seem that the public is not watching and listening, they are seeing and hearing everything. Of course, due to information distortion, it may take some time temporarily, but I believe it will all return to its rightful place in the end."