President Lee Jae Myung Calls for Rooting Out Corruption at First Anti-Graft Meeting

President Lee Jae Myung presided over the first meeting of the anti-corruption policy conference under his administration on Friday, calling for the eradication of persistent corruption within political circles and among public officials. Attended by the heads of 18 government ministries and agencies, the meeting focused on the need for fairness and integrity to match South Korea's economic growth. Lee cited a 2025 global survey ranking South Korea 31st in fairness among 182 countries, noting that the country's integrity standards should rise alongside its national power. He stated that efforts to root out corruption should continue until the public feels that things have truly changed.

The meeting included two sessions detailing specific crackdown measures. The first session addressed corruption involving entrenched local interests and irregularities in government contracts. The second session focused on the misuse of state funds, such as the illegal receipt of subsidies, and the improper use of connections by former government officials to secure preferential treatment. Lee emphasized that these efforts must be pursued based on clear principles without exception.

While both reports cover the same event, they differ in their framing. The center leaning coverage emphasizes the president's call for fairness as a prerequisite for the country's drive for growth and its goal to become an irreplaceable South Korea. In contrast, the center-right leaning coverage frames the issue as a gap between South Korea's high economic indicators, such as record exports and credit ratings, and its relatively lower global ranking in public sector integrity.