[Comprehensive] "Must Write by Hand" vs "Why Is Typing Controversial?" President Moon's Letter Format Controversy

Son of West Sea Killed Official Criticizes Moon's Letter Format... Blue House "Pope's Letter Also Typed"

President Moon Jae-in [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Seung-gon] A political controversy has erupted over the format of the letter reply sent by President Moon Jae-in to the high school son of Lee Mo (47), a Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who was shot and killed by North Korean soldiers in the West Sea. The opposition parties criticized the letter, which was composed in computer-typed text rather than President Moon’s handwritten script, as lacking sincerity. The Blue House responded by stating that even Pope Francis’s letters were typed, emphasizing that the letter was a formal reply and that the content is what matters.

Lee’s son, Lee Mo, publicly shared a handwritten letter addressed to President Moon on June 6 via the Facebook page of Lee’s older brother, Lee Jin-rae (55). The letter asked, "What was this country doing when my father was brutally killed? Why couldn’t you protect my father?" Later, on June 13, Lee’s older brother announced to the media that a one-page A4 letter from President Moon had been delivered by registered mail to his nephew, Lee Mo.

In the reply, President Moon comforted Lee Mo by saying, "My heart aches," and "Let’s wait for the results of the Coast Guard’s investigation and search." However, the political circles criticized the letter as being only at a superficial level. They also pointed out that the letter was typed rather than handwritten by the president.

On June 14, the People Power Party posted on their official Facebook page an image comparing the handwritten letter from the official’s son to the president’s "typed letter," along with the caption, "A letter from the president lacking sincerity that only repeats false hope." They also added hashtags: '#Official_Son_Handwritten_Letter' and '#President_Typed_Letter.'

The family of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries official who went missing and was shot by North Korean soldiers in the northern West Sea near Soyeonpyeongdo revealed a letter they received from President Moon Jae-in on the 14th. It is reported that President Moon sent a reply by mail to the family in response to a letter written by the family's high school son, which was received on the 12th. The photo shows the full text of President Moon's reply. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Ye-ryeong, spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a verbal comment that day, "The president’s reply did not take a single step beyond saying we should wait for the investigation results," and criticized, "The typed letter was a dry, formal document without even a handwritten signature."

Party member Cho Kyung-tae also posted on his Facebook, saying, "It is very sad that there is no president who sincerely comforts and protects the people," and raised his voice, "I couldn’t believe my eyes that the reply was typed on a computer. Is it acceptable to blatantly disregard the bereaved family like this?"

He added, "At the very least, the president should have conveyed his sincerity to the bereaved family in his own handwriting," and said, "I don’t understand why the president has not visited the bereaved family yet. Wouldn’t it be right to visit them immediately, offer sincere condolences, and promise to uncover the truth about North Korea’s atrocities?"

Kim Geun-sik, professor at Gyeongnam National University and head of the Songpa-byeong district committee of the People Power Party, wrote on Facebook, "There is only a letter, but no sincerity," and "The official’s son’s handwritten letter and the president’s typed letter clearly contrast in sincerity and poignancy."

Professor Kim further criticized, "The son’s heartfelt handwritten letter pressed firmly with a pen versus the president’s formal printed letter typed and printed out. A typed letter without even the president’s handwritten signature. It only raises doubts about the president’s sincerity."

He also said, "The phrase ‘Once the truth is revealed, those responsible will be held accountable’ is ambiguous and can be interpreted not only as a call for uncovering the truth about the father’s death and holding North Korea accountable but also as implying the father’s responsibility for defecting to the North," and added, "The president has not uttered a single word in response to the son’s desperate cry asking what the country was doing when his father was dying and his plea that his father was not a defector."

He continued, "The letter is nothing more than a typed and printed repetition of what the spokesperson already conveyed. Both the content and the format are merely a formal excuse to say a letter was sent rather than comforting a son who lost his father," harshly criticizing the letter.

Kang Min-seok, Blue House Spokesperson [Image source=Yonhap News]

In response to the so-called typing letter controversy, the Blue House expressed difficulty in understanding the criticism. They explained that not only letters sent to foreign heads of state but also letters from Pope Francis were typed.

Spokesperson Kang Min-seok said at a briefing at the Chuncheon Press Center on June 14, "The opposition and some media are raising issues about the fact that President Moon’s reply letter to the shot official’s son was typed. I don’t understand why typing is a matter of controversy."

He continued, "The president’s letters are first written by hand. The content written on a memo is received by the secretariat, typed, and then electronically signed. The same process applies to letters sent to foreign heads of state. They are typed and electronically signed."

In particular, Spokesperson Kang emphasized, "Not only letters from heads of state but also letters from Bill Gates, U2’s Bono, and letters containing oral messages from Pope Francis that we briefed you on were also typed."

Meanwhile, the People Power Party continues a handwritten relay to commemorate the shot official and demand government accountability.

People Power Party lawmaker Lee Joo-hwan said, "How scared he must have been in the dark and cold sea. In the end, the state could not protect him," and criticized, "While all citizens are angry, the state is instead suspecting the deceased of defecting to the North. Can we trust a state that kills the deceased twice?" He nominated fellow party members Lee Heon-seung, Jung Dong-man, and Koo Ja-geun as the next participants in the handwritten relay.

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