Politics · South Korea · 2 hrs ago
South Korea’s Lee criticizes double standards behind backlash to political correctness
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung criticized hypocrisy in politics in a post on X on Nov.
2.
He said public frustration with political correctness stems not from its values, but from people promoting those values while failing to follow them.
Lee argued that double standards weaken trust in moral claims, especially when people excuse their own side while condemning opponents.
He compared this to former President Chun Doo-hwan’s slogan of building a “just society,” saying Chun’s actions had damaged the meaning of the word “justice.”
Lee has also discussed public objections to political correctness amid a debate over support for multicultural families.
He said politicians should hold themselves to higher standards and make their actions match their words to help restore public trust.
South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said political correctness faces public backlash because of hypocrisy and double standards among some of its advocates.
He said people who apply standards harshly to others but excuse themselves and their own political side undermine the values they promote.
Lee argued that trust requires consistency between words and actions and greater scrutiny of oneself than of others.
He compared the effect of double standards to former President Chun Doo-hwan’s use of the slogan “realization of a just society,” saying it tainted the word “justice.”
Lee said political leaders should be especially wary of political correctness being undermined.
- Who
- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung.
- What
- He criticized hypocrisy and double standards among some advocates of political correctness, saying they fuel public backlash.
- When
- He made the remarks on Nov. 2, according to the articles.
- Where
- In a post on X, formerly Twitter.
- Why
- He said advocates who impose standards on others but do not follow them themselves undermine trust in the values they promote.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Lee posted on X about public resentment toward political correctness, “double standards” and factionalism.
Lee posted a further critique on X, saying hypocrisy and double standards were behind backlash against political correctness.
- Speaker
- South Korean President Lee Jae-myung
- Platform
- X, formerly Twitter
- Earlier post
- Oct. 31
- Comparison
- Former President Chun Doo-hwan’s “realization of a just society” slogan
- Main criticism
- Double standards and inconsistency between words and actions
3 sources
What people are saying
As long as the attitude of demanding from others standards that one cannot keep oneself continues, criticism and cynicism toward political correctness are hard to avoid.
To earn trust, what is inside and outside, words and actions, must be the same; there must be consistency from beginning to end, and one must be stricter with oneself than with others.
The most unjust Chun Doo-hwan shouted about realizing a just society, and the words justice and just society themselves became tainted.