[Comprehensive] 'Simu 7-jo Appeal' Transitioned to Public Petition on Cheong Wa Dae... 180,000 Agree

Petitioner "A father in his 30s with two children... talking about issues of the current era"

On the 12th, a post titled "Jinin (塵人) Jo Eun-san's Memorial Petition Submitting Seven Proposals on Current Affairs, Humbly Requesting Your Consideration" was uploaded on the Blue House National Petition Board. Although it was initially set to private during the review process after receiving preliminary consent from over 100 people, it was made public again on the afternoon of the 27th. Photo by Blue House National Petition screen capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Ga-yeon] The so-called 'Simu 7-jo' petition, which criticized President Moon Jae-in in the form of a memorial submission, was changed from private to public on the 27th. The post had previously raised suspicions that the Blue House deliberately hid it because it was not searchable during the pre-review process. The author is known to have supported former President Roh Moo-hyun in the past.

On the 12th, a post titled "Jinin (塵人) Jo Eun-san respectfully submits the Simu 7-jo memorial petition, humbly requesting your kind consideration" was posted on the Blue House National Petition Board. This appears to borrow the form of memorial submissions such as the 'Simu 10-jo' policy proposals by Choi Chiwon to Queen Jinseong during the Unified Silla period, and the 'Simu 28-jo' reform proposals by Choi Seung-ro to King Seongjong in early Goryeo.

However, the petition was not immediately visible on the board after being posted, raising suspicions that the Blue House had made it private. The Blue House responded to these suspicions by stating that "the post's public disclosure is being reviewed according to normal procedures." Shortly after the post was made public, by 7:30 a.m. on the 28th, it had garnered 187,466 supporters.

The author of 'Simu 7-jo' is a man in his late 30s known by the pen name 'Jo Eun-san.' In an interview with Hankook Ilbo on the 27th, the petitioner introduced himself as "a father in his 30s living in Incheon, raising two children. I am a low-paid salaried worker unrelated to writing. I am neither a person with great achievements nor highly educated, just an ordinary father working hard to make a living at the bottom of society."

President Moon Jae-in is presiding over a video Cabinet meeting at the Cheong Wa Dae Yeomin Hall on the morning of the 25th / Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding the reason for writing the petition, he said, "With my limited knowledge, I observed the current era and felt its problems, and I simply spoke about those issues. My dream is not just to criticize the regime I do not support, but to point out the right and wrong of the regime I do support and to offer harsh words in hopes of improvement."

He added, "I am glad that the buried petition has been fully disclosed and can receive support from the people, but at the same time, I am afraid of being known. I want to continue to maintain my position as an ordinary citizen to write with conviction."

Jo was reported by Hankook Ilbo to have supported former President Roh Moo-hyun in the past and since then considers himself neither progressive nor conservative.

Earlier, the petitioner opened with, "In the winter of the Gihai year, a foreign plague ravaged this land, and the lives of the people were so miserable that they could hardly remember before or after, and dared not hope for the future. This is surely not the plight of a few alone," and continued, "The people each covered their mouths with masks, the streets occupied by disease held their breath, and although doctors and officials in the capital breathed hastily, those with chronic illnesses and the elderly passed away."

He then criticized, "While the people's lives were like this, the ministers and officials gathered in the National Assembly to engage in empty talk, shifting responsibility for failures onto the deposed former king, covering failed policies with even worse ones, mocking the people, making the situation increasingly absurd."

Regarding the government's real estate policies, which have sparked public backlash, he scolded, "Some ministers are spouting nonsense that housing prices have only risen 11% when in fact there are many places where prices have increased by 1.1 billion won."

He also targeted Minister Chu, who recently expressed opinions on real estate such as the 'separation of finance and real estate' and the 'baby and salt theory,' saying, "One minister, still unsure whether he is the Minister of Justice or the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is erratically jumping around, claiming he will set the rent prices himself, causing great distress to the humble people."

President Moon Jae-in is speaking at a meeting with leaders of the Korean Protestant Church held at the main building of the Blue House on the 27th. Photo by Yonhap News

Regarding tax issues, he said, "Please reduce taxes. The country's tax system has fallen from a virtue of mutual help to a torment of dismemberment. Being wealthy is not a crime, yet half of the income is taken away, the children of the rich are taxed again so they cannot become rich, companies are labeled chaebols and taxed, multi-homeowners are deemed corrupt and taxed to stabilize housing prices, single-homeowners are not spared as official property values are raised to tax them, landlords are betrayed by retroactive laws, and elderly residents of the county are taxed for living in high-priced homes," raising his voice, "How can a ruler who oppresses the people with tax increases win their hearts?"

He added, "Please reorganize the broken tax system and readjust tax rates so that those who pay taxes, not those who benefit from them, can understand, alleviating the people's suffering."

The petitioner also targeted former Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-gyeom and Presidential Secretary No Young-min, calling them "masters of 'yeongkkeul' (borrowing money to the soul), legendary gamblers, destroyers of loan limits," and "traitors to their constituencies, textbooks of tax avoidance."

Regarding Lee Hae-chan, leader of the Democratic Party who advocated moving the capital, he said, "One minister said that the capital Hanyang is vulgar and that the capital should be moved to Sejong, pouring cold water on the people's morale," adding, "The ministers and officials only look after their factions and interests, clouding His Majesty's eyes and ears, while the people's suffering from disease and tax increases grows more severe every day."

Additionally, the Simu 7-jo includes content such as ▲ "Value reason over emotion when implementing policies," ▲ "Prioritize practical benefits over rhetoric in diplomacy," ▲ "Acknowledge human desires," ▲ "Choose your ministers wisely," ▲ "Uphold the values of the constitution," and ▲ "Renew yourself first."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.