Home > National > Politics

X man: President gets more active on social media to talk directly to public

Published: 29 Jan. 2026, 19:06

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with foriegn investors at the Blue House in Jongno District, central Seoul, on Jan. 28. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung has sharply increased his use of social media since the start of the year, using X to weigh in on policy debates and hear from the public, most recently asking for opinions on a proposed “sugar tax.”

Lee shared an article citing a poll on Wednesday, showing that 80.1 percent of respondents supported taxing companies that use excessive amounts of added sugar. He wrote that, like tobacco taxes, a sugar tax could curb consumption and provide funds for regional and public health care, ending the post by asking users for their views.

“Like with tobacco, the sugar tax could reduce sugar consumption, and the funds could be reinvested to strengthen regional and public health care,” the president wrote. “What are your thoughts?”

The World Health Organization recommended taxing companies using excessive sugar in a 2016 report. More than 120 countries, including Britain and France, have implemented similar policies.

In Korea, a 2021 amendment to the National Health Promotion Act proposed levying a health promotion surcharge on companies that manufacture, process, import, distribute or sell sweetened beverages. The bill ultimately failed to pass as the sponsoring lawmaker's term ended before it could reach the floor for a vote.

Lee’s post on the sugar tax was viewed by 1 million people in 12 hours and retweeted by some 1,900 accounts. Around 600 replies were posted, with some saying the policy was necessary for public health, others voicing concerns about inflation and some pointing out the potential burden on small businesses.

“We’ve been reviewing the sugar tax for two months now,” said Kim Yong-beom, the presidential director of national policy. “The presidential offices for social affairs and economic growth are discussing it, but their views differ.”

A social media post on X by President Lee Jae Myung asks for people's opinion on the so-called sugar tax on Jan. 28. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

The National Assembly will hold a policy forum on excessive sugar consumption on Feb. 12.

The post on the tax was just one of seven X posts Lee made on Wednesday. Each one included a link to a news article and a brief comment.

At 1 a.m., he shared an article about the first-ever public disclosure of local government deposit interest rates and wrote, “This is all taxpayers’ money.”

At 8:23 a.m., he posted another article on the topic and commented, “Even 1 percent of 1 trillion won is 10 billion won [$7 million]. It’s worth studying how a city’s level of democracy correlates with its interest rates.”

President Lee Jae Myung, center, speak during a roundtable with foreign-invested companies at the Blue House in central Seoul on Jan. 28. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Responding to an article about the finalized name “Jeonnam Gwangju Special City” in a proposal to merge Gwangju and South Jeolla’s administrative systems, Lee wrote, “Dialogue, compromise, coexistence — truly befitting the home of democracy.”

That message was posted one minute before the start of the 9:15 a.m. “tea time meeting” — a high-level staff briefing.

Lee, known for his direct communication style since his time as a local and metropolitan government leader, has become increasingly active on social media recently, especially on X, where he writes his own posts.

He posted 44 messages in December. As of Wednesday, that figure had already reached 53 for January. Posts sharing articles and policy commentary increased from six to 28.

Lee has also used X to express his views on contentious housing policies.

Officials from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport meet with President Lee Jae Myung during a presentation at the government complex in Sejong on Dec. 12, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

“No government can win against the market, but the market can’t beat the government either,” Lee wrote one of four posts on the topic on Sunday. “Wait it out? The loophole is obvious," he said in another post, while in a third, he said, "Policy authorities aren’t foolish enough to ignore it,” signaling a clear intention to push through with reforms.

“Isn’t it fair to treat nonresidential and residential properties differently?” Lee asked on Friday, while prefacing the comment with, “This isn’t something to change immediately.”

“It’s about listening to public opinion,” a Blue House official said. “Lee believes democracy means directly engaging with the public — the true owners of the country — and using collective intelligence to craft effective policies while minimizing side effects.”

“If 2025 was the year of overcoming internal strife, this year is when tangible results must be delivered to the public,” said a Democratic Party lawmaker aligned with Lee. “The president is mobilizing policy momentum in his own way.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY OH HYUN-SEOK [[email protected]]