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Lee Jae-myung, president of South Korea, salutes the national flag during a senior aides’ meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, on September 11. / Source: Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung on September 11 ordered the government to devise bold cost-of-living reduction measures across seven key areas, including housing, transport, childcare, education, culture, communications and energy.

Chairing his 10th senior aides’ meeting, Lee said, “Even though the KOSPI index is hitting record highs and several economic indicators are improving, people’s daily lives remain tough. The surest way to restore livelihoods is to reduce household expenses.” He instructed officials to review next year’s budget for measures that could be improved or implemented immediately.

Lee also urged action on opaque utility fees in multi-unit housing, calling for democratic management structures, thorough investigations, and institutional reforms to end unfair practices. He ordered further reviews of measures to ease commuting costs, including offering more incentives in provincial areas, and proposed integrating public food delivery apps nationwide.

On childcare, he requested a comprehensive review of support for families with three or more children to ensure adequacy.

Addressing the KT micro-payment hacking case, Lee pressed authorities to act decisively to prevent further damage, stressing that allegations of cover-ups or downplaying must be investigated and accountability pursued. “It is even more serious if we fail to fix the barn after losing the cow,” he said, warning businesses not to treat cybersecurity spending as a needless cost.

Lee also instructed swift investigations into recent child abduction and kidnapping cases, stressing, “When it comes to public safety, overreaction is a hundred times better than inaction. Relevant ministries must act immediately, not just speak, to restore public trust.”