"Lee Jae-myung, step down now!" Parents criticize government policies and Chairman Lee Jae-myung

Controversy arose after it was alleged that Chairman Lee Jae-myung had previously rejected former President Trump's proposal to participate in the Hormuz Strait operation with a 'no thanks'. Former President Trump reportedly asked Korea multiple times about its intention to join the operation, but Lee Jae-myung refused.

At the time, the government denied these claims, but former President Trump continued to assert Korea's refusal, intensifying the controversy.

It is reported that Chairman Lee Jae-myung expressed, "I pay my respects to Trump. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. President," when the ROK-US joint exercises were reduced by former President Trump's order.

The host criticized that it was an inappropriate attitude for someone who would become the President of the Republic of Korea to express 'thanks' for the reduction of US military exercises. Panelists also expressed concern, stating that such remarks reveal his perception of national security.

Parents strongly criticized Chairman Lee Jae-myung's remark that 'military power is overflowing'. They argued that such a statement is merely the perspective of a high-ranking official within the Ministry of National Defense and is far from the reality of soldiers on the front lines and their families.

Parents scoffed that it was a leisurely remark that could only be made by a president or defense minister sitting in a safe Ministry of National Defense bunker or the Blue House. They expressed anger, pointing out that the remark showed a complete lack of understanding of the real difficulties faced by parents with children currently serving in the military.

Panelists expressed skepticism about the government's 'great transformation' policy. Parent Park So-young stated, "Isn't that 'great transformation' being used to completely overturn all the basic frameworks of South Korea?"

The panelists interpreted the term 'great transformation' as a means to overturn the existing system. They also mentioned that many people feel repulsion towards this term across society, expressing concern about attempts to change the nation's foundations.

It was argued that the current government's real estate policy is causing adverse effects compared to past administrations. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, housing prices rose tremendously, but stabilized during the Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye presidencies.

It was pointed out that housing prices seemed to stabilize briefly at the beginning of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration but are now on the rise again. This phenomenon, it was noted, is clearly evident in the data.

Criticism poured in regarding the adverse effects on the rental market due to the disappearance of the jeonse system and real-residency regulations. Although the right to demand contract renewal was introduced, it was pointed out that it offers no practical protection as landlords often evict tenants on the grounds of real residency.

Parent Park So-young said, "The right to demand contract renewal is useless. It's a law they made, but you have to leave if the landlord moves in. It's a situation where homeless commoners are suffering more because landlords are moving in." As a result, tenants are unable to exercise their right to renew contracts, being forced onto the streets or switching to monthly rent, leading to increased housing costs.

Ultimately, criticism was raised that these policies hinder the housing stability of commoners and instead cause counterproductive effects, exacerbating their plight.

Criticism arose that the government's 'first-time homebuyer low-interest loan for non-apartment properties under 400 million KRW' support policy does not reflect reality. Parent Kim Yoo-na stated, "These guys, even villas in Seoul are over 400 million KRW," pointing out the policy's effectiveness.

It was argued that the Youth Future Mortgage Loan does not adequately reflect the reality of non-apartment prices in the Seoul area. In a situation where it is difficult to find non-apartments under 400 million KRW in Seoul, such a loan policy, it was suggested, only deepens the sense of deprivation among young people.

Furthermore, differential loan support between apartments and non-apartments was criticized as causing imbalance in housing policy and discriminating by favoring specific housing types.

An analysis suggests that the 2030 generation is turning to purchasing redevelopment villas due to the difficulty of buying apartments. According to Korea Real Estate Board data, non-apartment purchases by the 2030 generation increased by 67% compared to the previous year.

The perception that the only way to buy an apartment is to buy a redevelopment villa is spreading, and this is interpreted as a result of the uncertainty of current real estate policies and the anxiety among the youth.

The government's AI-generated imaginary image of a 'Gosiwon with a bathtub' sparked controversy, drawing mocking public sentiment from young people. Parent Kim Yoo-na stated, "It means they don't know what young people want. Do young people like it if you put that bathtub in a Gosiwon now?", pointing out that the government completely fails to grasp the housing needs of young people.

Criticism was raised that the government's housing policies are detached from the practical needs of young people. Such policies are not gaining empathy from young people and, on the contrary, lead to trivializing their desperate housing problems.

Panelists urged a shift to public infrastructure-centric housing policies and the development of effective measures by listening to the actual voices of young people.

Criticism was raised over the dance performance to the song 'Inside the Bus' at the Democratic Party convention. Parent Park So-young stated, "The Democratic Party convention had that performance. And that song, Jaja's 'Inside the Bus,' circulated not just on a few communities or Instagram-like SNS," pointing out that the performance was out of touch with public sentiment.

This drew further criticism as it coincided with the recent 'Youth PAPERS' remarks, which sparked controversy over youth disparagement. It was seen as a blatant parody of an issue reported even on terrestrial news, indicating an attitude that ignores the anger of young people.

Parents criticized that such an appearance, seemingly ignoring the public's difficulties and only pursuing enjoyment, would hardly gain public empathy.

It was argued that the 2022 revised curriculum and the high school credit system were designed under the Moon Jae-in administration and passed on to the Yoon Seok-yeol government, meaning the current government inherited an 'education bomb' from the previous administration. Parent Park So-young explained, "The 2022 revised curriculum is about changing textbooks to match the high school credit system, so it was all designed by the Moon Jae-in government and passed over to the Yoon Seok-yeol government, so I only played the role of deliberation and resolution."

As a result, issues of teacher supply and linkage with the college entrance examination system are intertwined, remaining a complex challenge for the current government to solve.

It was pointed out that the French Baccalaureate case is being used as a tool to criticize the college admission lottery. Parent Kim Yoo-na explained, "France has something called the Baccalaureate, which is a qualification. It's for college admission... Students who achieve a certain level of grades apply. If, for example, 100 people apply for 10 spots, they would lottery 10 people from there," criticizing the distortion of the reality of the French college admission system.

The French Baccalaureate is a college entrance qualification exam, where students who achieve a certain level of grades are eligible to apply to universities. The Macron government attempted to partially introduce a lottery system for university admission, but this was ruled unconstitutional by the French Constitutional Court.

However, it is being misrepresented in Korea as if the entire French college admission system operates on a lottery basis, and is being used as a basis for advocating for a college admission lottery. This highlights the importance of accurate information in education policy discussions.

Parents expressed concern that indiscriminately adopting or distorting overseas cases does not align with the domestic education reality and could further cause confusion.

It was criticized that regulation-oriented education policies paradoxically intensify private education and infringe upon parents' educational choices. Parent Park So-young warned of the policy's side effects, stating, "If you block English kindergartens, what do you think will happen? Mothers will hire English teachers to live in their homes. It's not as simple as them doing education policies or systems as they wish."

Policies such as regulating English kindergartens or restricting elementary English education may not enhance public education's competitiveness but rather lead to an increase in expensive private tutoring or other forms of private education. This is because parents with high educational aspirations will try to provide better educational opportunities for their children in any way possible.

This phenomenon shows that the government's attempts to solve educational problems solely through regulation can lead to balloon effects different from the original intent. Criticism also continued regarding the infringement of parents' right to choose their children's education.

It was pointed out that the complexity of the college admissions system is causing conflict between parents and children. Parent Kim Yoo-na described the difficulty of college admissions, stating, "Every time we apply, each child has different tendencies, and there are advantages and disadvantages. Which university to apply to, and not to overlap, it's a very high-level game of probabilities. In that process, mothers even fight with their own children."

Applying for college admission is like a complex game of probabilities, requiring consideration of the child's tendencies and advantages/disadvantages. During this process, conflicts of opinion arise between parents and children, sometimes leading to serious disputes.

This illustrates the reality where the college admission system is so complex and unpredictable that the entire family experiences significant stress during the process of determining a child's future.

Criticism arose regarding Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Min-seok's attack on Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, calling him 'Mr. Jo Yi-dae'. Parent Kim Yoo-na stated, "Kim Min-seok called him Mr. Jo Yi-dae yesterday. He said he wouldn't even call him Chief Justice. Or did he say, 'Go home'? 'Mr. Jo Yi-dae, step down,'" pointing out Rep. Kim's attitude.

This stems from the controversy surrounding the method of recommending Supreme Court justices. The Democratic Party criticized Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae for recommending Supreme Court justice candidates in writing without face-to-face consultation with the president, stating it broke custom.

However, panelists criticized that such criticism went too far and that the attitude towards the head of the judiciary was inappropriate.

It was argued that the right to recommend Supreme Court justices is the Chief Justice's inherent authority, and political circles pressuring this by raising issues constitute an infringement on the independence of the judiciary. Parent Kim Yoo-na stated, "This time, regarding the recommendation of Supreme Court justices, it's the Chief Justice's inherent authority. It's right for him to do it. But seeing Kim Min-seok saying, 'Shall I fire Mr. Jo Yi-dae?' I realize they are... And there's talk within and outside the courts that Jo Hee-dae made the courts difficult because he was too principled."

There is strong criticism against political pressure based on custom. It is argued that criticizing the Chief Justice's rightful authority to recommend Supreme Court justices according to law and principle for political reasons can undermine judicial independence.

It was also mentioned that there are assessments within and outside the courts that Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae was too principled, which paradoxically made things difficult for the courts. This shows the complex dynamic between political pressure and judicial independence.

Criticism was raised that a structural contradiction is occurring where Chairman Lee Jae-myung, who is currently facing multiple criminal trials, is in a position to appoint Supreme Court justices who would preside over his cases. Panelists stated, "What defendant chooses Supreme Court justices? What criminal defendant chooses the judges, the Supreme Court justices, for their own trial?" pointing out that this situation is beyond common sense.

This is regarded as a serious issue that could shake the foundations of the three-branch system. There are great concerns that the independence and fairness of the judiciary could be undermined.

It is pointed out that a defendant influencing the composition of the highest judicial body that will determine their guilt or innocence goes against the principles of the rule of law.

Criticism continued that such a situation lowers public trust in the rule of law and raises questions about the legitimacy of the judicial system.

It was argued that former President Roh Moo-hyun showed caution regarding prosecutorial reform and the independence of investigative authority. Panelists quoted lawmaker Kwak Sang-won, saying, "He even said that it's not the prosecutorial reform that President Roh Moo-hyun wanted. He said it's not about abolishing supplementary investigative powers and destroying all national systems like that..."

This suggests that former President Roh Moo-hyun's original intention differed from the current prosecutorial reform methods pursued by the Democratic Party.

While former President Roh Moo-hyun acknowledged the necessity of prosecutorial reform, he opposed reforms that would dismantle the foundations of the national system. Criticism was raised that the current Democratic Party's prosecutorial reform methods could harm the national system.

Skepticism was raised that while the special prosecutor's investigative scope is defined, actual results ultimately depend on the will of the special prosecutor candidate. The remark was made, "Well, we'll have to wait and see, but how much will the special prosecutor have and how deeply will they continue to dig into related matters? That depends on the will of the special prosecutor candidate, so it will be up to them."

Issues regarding the legitimacy of the special prosecutor candidate recommendation process were also raised. This leads to concerns about whether the special prosecutor can conduct investigations independently and fairly.

Criticism was raised regarding Chairman Lee Jae-myung's remark about using a helicopter to find sites for rental housing. Panelists stated, "I said last week, didn't I? He's looking for land by helicopter, trying to find suitable sites for rental housing. Is he trying to create a third Daewang-dong by finding land even by helicopter to build public rental housing?" expressing doubts about the effectiveness of using a helicopter.

The method of using a helicopter to inspect rental housing sites was criticized as showmanship and not conducive to actual problem-solving. It was even linked to a potential 'third Daewang-dong project,' revealing a negative perspective.

This shows that public distrust in Chairman Lee Jae-myung's policy implementation methods and the past Daewang-dong incident still lingers.