The presidential X factor: Lee taps social media to gather public opinion, promote policy and dictate priorities

President Lee Jae Myung speaks at a dinner reception with the Korean community in Singapore in the city state on March 1. [YONHAP]

 
Less than a year into his term, it may be difficult to precisely pinpoint President Lee Jae Myung's leadership style, but one thing is clear: He likes X.
 
As Lee increasingly uses X as a direct and effective online form of communication to outline major initiatives, refute opposing perspectives and convey his stance on key issues, the social media platform has become a defining feature of his governance style.
 

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Lee, X and the numbers
 
From Jan. 1 to Friday, Lee posted 97 messages exclusively on X, excluding Facebook and Instagram, a rate of of 1.7 posts per day. Each post drew an average of roughly 650,000 views. His shortest message was 16 characters in Korean, while the longest was 1,531 characters.
 
The timing of the posts also appears calculated. Lee most frequently posted during commuting hours between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m., accounting for 22 posts, or 22.7 percent of the total. The time window coincides with peak smartphone usage and heightened news consumption.
 
By category, policy messages were the most common, totaling 39 posts, or 40.2 percent. Lee has often used X to unveil policy ideas or reiterate his commitment to ongoing initiatives, taking advantage of the speed and shareability the platform offers.
 
Even short and concise messages can generate high view counts and be easily reshared. By topic, real estate ranked first with 30 posts, or 30.9 percent, followed by livelihood-related issues at 14 posts, or 14.4 percent.
 

President Lee Jae Myung's post on X regarding real estate policy from Feb. 5 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Direct communication with the public
 
Lee’s use of X to promote policy is an extension of his desire to fully open major meetings to the public, an approach that appears to be grounded in his belief that direct communication through social media and live broadcasts reduces distortion in the policy delivery process.
 
“Isn’t it true that through X, the intentions of the person running state affairs can be conveyed clearly?” said a Blue House official. “In the case of real estate policy, whereas in the past one had to confirm details through the relevant minister or spokesperson, now immediate clarification is possible through the president’s own message.”
 
Lee has also used the platform to publicly take a stand on contentious issues. Such posts accounted for 28 messages, or 28.9 percent of the total.
 
A prime example is when he labeled a press release from the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry that claimed the number of wealthy individuals leaving the country has surged due to inheritance taxes as “fake news” on Feb. 7. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources later launched an audit of the chamber.
 

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Some analysts interpret Lee’s decision to respond personally, rather than leaving explanations to the Blue House spokesperson’s office or relevant ministries, as a reflection of a degree of distrust toward the media.
 
“There are many sloppy [news] reports saying that ‘there is no effect, no listings are coming out’ — why do they publish such false reports?” Lee wrote on Feb. 3, after citing an article on an increase in apartment listings in Seoul’s major districts, directly refuting reports that the government’s temporary suspension of heavy capital gains taxes on owners of multiple homes would be ineffective.
 
 
Not just for picking fights
 
Lee’s use of X has not been limited to confrontation. Posts expressing appreciation, encouragement or condolences — including those tied to on-site visits — accounted for 20 messages, or 20.6 percent.
 
Some posts intersected with diplomacy, with Lee tagging the X accounts of foreign leaders to signal camaraderie.
 

President Lee Jae Myung's post on X linking a video combining childhood photos of himself and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from Feb. 23 [SCREEN CAPTURE]

 
“Two factory boys grew up to become presidents and met,” Lee wrote on Feb. 23 in a post that displayed the two countries' flags side by side along with a video combining childhood photos of himself and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
 
“Together we are stronger,” a Brazilian X user wrote in response to the post.
 
Lee has also used X to gauge public opinion on existing policies or measures under consideration. Such posts accounted for 10 messages, or 10.3 percent. The discussion on the introduction of a so-called sugar tax — a levy on producers of sugary beverages such as carbonated drinks — was initiated by Lee himself.
 

President Lee Jae Myung, left, and first lady Kim Hea Kyung arrive at Changi Airport in Singapore on March 1. [YONHAP]

The X effect on priorities, processes
 
Reactions to Lee’s X-centered political communication have been mixed. Some argue that it injects urgency into a rigid bureaucracy and accelerates policy execution.
 
“Policies take considerable time to be implemented and produce results,” a Democratic Party official said. “But the moment the president mentions something on X, it is effectively treated as if the policy has been formalized. That inevitably accelerates movement within the lower administrative ranks.”
 
Others point to growing fatigue within the civil service.
 
“Even before, we struggled to respond to spontaneous remarks in Cabinet meetings,” an official at one ministry said. “Now, it’s even more burdensome because it’s hard to predict what message might come out on X.”
 

President Lee Jae Myung, far left, speaks at a summit with Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, not pictured, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore in the city state on March 2. [NEWS1]

 
There are also concerns that substantive policy matters could be overshadowed by presidential posts, lowering their priority within ministries’ internal agendas. Critics warn that issues open to debate risk being reframed in simplistic binaries through short, blunt presidential messages akin to Truth Social posts by U.S. President Donald Trump.
 
Because every post remains publicly archived, some observers caution that past remarks could later become liabilities.
 
“At a time when party politics is increasingly dominated by partisan conflict, President Lee’s focus on policy agendas is certainly a differentiating factor,” said Lee Jun-han, a political science professor at Incheon National University. “But if messages are delivered impulsively or fail to align with the administrative system, the result could be discord rather than the synergy that was intended.”


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 WI MOON-HEE, SHIN SU-MIN [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]