Lee lashes out at airport chief over accountability

Dec 18, 2025, 09:53 am

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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a policy briefing by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy at the Government Sejong Convention Center on December 17. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung on December 17 delivered a blistering rebuke of Lee Hak-jae, president of Incheon International Airport Corp., accusing him of shirking responsibility while enjoying the privileges of public office.

Speaking at a policy briefing by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy at the Government Sejong Convention Center, Lee criticized the attitude of some senior officials, saying, “Some people seem so steeped in politics that what they say one minute is different from what they say the next, or they make statements in briefings and then say something entirely different afterward.”

The remarks followed similar criticism a day earlier during a briefing by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, when Lee said that “false reporting distorts decision-making” and indirectly targeted Lee Hak-jae for saying that crackdowns on illegal dollar outflows did not fall under the airport authority’s jurisdiction. For a second consecutive day, the president issued what aides described as a “frost-edged reprimand.”

Lee escalated his criticism on Wednesday, saying, “Enjoying the honor and benefits that come with a position while refusing to take responsibility — isn’t that the mindset of a downright thief?” He added, “Why occupy the position at all? If you don’t want to do the job, you shouldn’t do it,” stressing that “administration is different from politics. This is a place for administration, and officials must fear the people.”

Addressing controversy over his earlier remarks on so-called “bookmark dollar smuggling,” Lee said, “Some even accused the president of teaching people how to commit crimes, but this was an issue the government itself previously addressed in press releases. Are we supposed to hush up crimes and give people a chance?” He added sarcastically, “By that logic, does the TV show Love and War teach people how to have affairs?”

Lee received briefings that day from the ministries of Trade, Industry and Energy; SMEs and Startups; Climate, Energy and Environment; and the Interior and Safety. He also sharply criticized the Korea National Oil Corp. over the previous administration’s “Great Whale Project.”

When Choi Moon-kyu, acting president of the oil company, said there was no precise figure for production costs, Lee shot back, “Does that mean you never calculated it? With so many variables, you didn’t even know whether the project was viable or worth developing, yet you were planning to pour trillions of won into it?”

On nuclear energy policy, Lee warned against politicization, saying, “Nuclear policy has turned into a political issue,” and asking, “Why divide people into ‘my side’ and ‘your side’ when this should be a scientific debate?”

When told that building a nuclear power plant typically takes 10 to 15 years, Lee noted that others had cited seven years, remarking, “Each political party says something different.” He then quipped, “I can’t fully trust the minister either since he belongs to the Democratic Party. Let the CEO of Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power answer instead.”

The comment was seen as underscoring Lee’s intention to base energy policy on objective analysis rather than ideological alignment, amid deep divisions between conservative and progressive camps on nuclear power. Lee also floated the idea of creating a national fund to finance power transmission and distribution networks, saying it could guarantee a certain return while offering citizens broader investment opportunities and enabling faster rollout.

#Lee Jae-myung #Incheon International Airport Corp. #accountability #Great Whale Project #nuclear energy policy