Presidential office launches online suggestion box to promote direct communication
Published: 29 Jun. 2025, 13:22
Updated: 29 Jun. 2025, 17:33
![President Lee Jae Myung gives a speech during a luncheon meeting for people of national merits, war veterans and their family members at the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae or the Blue House, in central Seoul on June 27, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/29/43586414-d4e9-4f05-8356-aaaf1ea39f20.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung gives a speech during a luncheon meeting for people of national merits, war veterans and their family members at the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae or the Blue House, in central Seoul on June 27, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
“The president will answer your questions directly,” the presidential office announced as it launched an online suggestion box for the public on Tuesday.
The move is part of an effort to “gather public opinion firsthand and reflect it in state affairs to usher in an era of government by the people,” according to the presidential office. It has been named the "People's Mailbox," or the gukmin saseoham, in Korean.
“The mailbox will accept questions from the public on all matters of interest — including politics, the economy, social issues, livelihoods and foreign affairs,” said a presidential office official. “All questions will be reported to the president, and those with high public interest or relevance will receive a direct response from the president.”
The system is operated online. Anyone can submit a letter through a Google Docs form. It does not require any identification and only asks the questioner's name (or nickname) and age.
The Presidential Planning Committee — which effectively serves the role of a transition team — also launched its own public communication platform in coordination with the presidential office. The committee had been running a temporary suggestion channel titled “What I Wish from President Lee Jae Myung” (translated) since June 18 and formalized the platform as the “Plaza for All” (translated) on Wednesday.
![President Lee Jae Myung gives a speech during a luncheon meeting for people of national merits, war veterans and their family members at the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae or the Blue House, in central Seoul on June 27, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/29/30025176-4a49-4015-9e02-258c206ec956.jpg)
President Lee Jae Myung gives a speech during a luncheon meeting for people of national merits, war veterans and their family members at the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae or the Blue House, in central Seoul on June 27, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]
Anyone can visit the Plaza for All website and submit policy proposals of any kind until July 23. The platform needs identification, unlike the mailbox.
“A total of 2,336 policies were proposed during the trial run, and including general questions, we received 259,828 submissions,” said a committee official. “With the platform officially launched, we expect public engagement to grow.”
One lawmaker aligned with the president explained that Lee has been emphasizing the importance of direct communication with the public since his time as Seongnam mayor, whether by opening city hall to citizens or responding to grievances through social media.
“This marks the official beginning of the new administration’s forum-style politics," the lawmaker said.
The initiative, described as a hallmark of Lee’s direct democracy, has drawn both anticipation and concern from political circles. Past administrations have attempted similar direct communication with the public, only to face unnecessary controversy.
![Former President Moon Jae-in answers an online petition on Aug. 19, 2021. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/29/6189301f-70a4-450d-8bed-0820c52ce1c2.jpg)
Former President Moon Jae-in answers an online petition on Aug. 19, 2021. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]
![An online petition posted on Feb. 4, 2020, demands the impeachment of then-President Moon Jae-in. [SCREEN CAPTURE]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/06/29/b51aece7-d514-431e-a6ed-09e762333134.jpg)
An online petition posted on Feb. 4, 2020, demands the impeachment of then-President Moon Jae-in. [SCREEN CAPTURE]
A prime example is the online Blue House Petition launched by the Moon Jae-in administration on Aug. 19, 2017, to “listen to the people’s opinions.” The system allowed any petition receiving over 200,000 signatures within 30 days to be answered by a government or presidential official. Over the course of five years, the board hosted 1.11 million petitions and drew 516 million visits, making it a mainstay of Moon’s presidency. Of those petitions, 284 received official responses.
Moon personally addressed some of the petitions. On Sept. 11, 2017, he responded to a petition titled “Include women in mandatory military service,” which had gathered around 120,000 signatures. During a senior secretariat and advisory meeting at the Blue House, Moon remarked that “there seems to be strong support for the idea that men and women should share the duty of national defense,” calling it “an interesting issue.” The comment sparked backlash from some men in their 20s.
As Moon’s term progressed, the platform was increasingly seen as a battleground for partisan conflict. On Aug. 12, 2020, an anonymous user writing under the pen name Cho Eun-san posted a petition titled “Your humble servant, Cho Eun-san, respectfully submits Seven Articles for Good Governance.” Written in the form of a historical memorial, it harshly criticized the Moon administration’s real estate policy and gained widespread support. When related posts disappeared from the petition board for about two weeks, the Blue House faced accusations of censorship. In March 2020, a petition calling for Moon’s impeachment surpassed 1.47 million signatures.
The Yoon Suk Yeol administration abolished the Blue House Petition Board, citing concerns over political abuse, and introduced a new system called “People’s Proposal” (translated) which required users to identify themselves. However, its daily average traffic remained at just 1 percent of its predecessor.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM JEONG-JAE [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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