President Lee: "Civil Petitions Reflect the Will of the People That Public Officials Must Respect"

Yonhap News Agency

On May 12, President Lee Jaemyung emphasized the importance of public officials respecting civil petitions and encouraged public servants responsible for conflict resolution.

On this day, President Lee wrote on his X account (formerly Twitter), "Civil petitions are not bothersome tasks to be avoided," adding, "They reflect the will of the people, which public officials, as servants of the people, must respect and explore." He further stressed, "Within civil petitions lie voices that must be respected and acted upon, as well as numerous national reform tasks, making them a treasure trove for governance."

President Lee stated, "Chronic and recurring petitions can devastate the lives of petitioners and result in administrative waste," but also explained, "It is rare for people to make unreasonable demands knowingly." He added, "Misunderstandings, distrust, and ill feelings can often be resolved through sincere conversation and respect," and elaborated, "If we invest enough time and engage in deep, respectful dialogue, many civil petitions can be resolved."

Together with his statement, President Lee shared an article announcing the official launch of the 'Government-wide Conflict Mediation Officer System.' The Office of the President recently designated conflict mediation officers in each government agency to establish a cross-government collaboration system in response to increasingly complex, prolonged group conflicts and recurring petitions. In this context, President Lee said, "I thank the public officials in charge of conflict resolution for doing their best, and I have high expectations for your efforts. Thank you."

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