President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday reaffirmed his resolve to rein in soaring housing prices, using his X account to issue a blunt warning to speculative property owners.
In a post written in Korean, Lee said the country had overcome a grave national crisis and questioned why it could not also curb real estate speculation.
"This is not a threat, but a recommendation made because it is necessary and beneficial for everyone," Lee wrote. "For speculative owners of multiple homes, this is the last chance to get out."
In recent weeks, Lee has been increasingly active on social media, with his recent focus on real estate issues.
On Saturday, Lee wrote on X that "normalizing the real estate market is far easier and more important than pushing the Kospi index to 5,000 or clearing mountain valleys," underscoring housing as a top policy priority.
In a previous post, he had warned that those who "harm Koreans will face total ruin," referring to a local media report that Chinese criminal syndicates operating in Cambodia had stopped recruiting Koreans following recent crackdowns by Korean police.
That message was later deleted. According to reports, the Cambodian government had conveyed concerns about the message posted in Khmer.
Such direct messaging has drawn sharp criticism from the main opposition People Power Party, which argues that Lee's social media activity risks creating policy uncertainty and legal controversy.
Rep. Ahn Cheol-soo, a four-term lawmaker of the party, said the president's use of a personal social media account to issue policy-related remarks could violate the Presidential Records Act.
"President Lee has been pouring out directives on taxation, diplomacy and real estate through X almost daily," Ahn wrote in a Facebook post Tuesday. "This kind of 'X politics' constitutes a potential violation of the Presidential Records Act."
Ahn pointed to Lee's earlier warning post — later deleted — arguing that "because the president is not a private citizen but the head of state, all official remarks must be properly recorded, preserved and handed over" in accordance with legal procedures.
Rep. Song Eon-seog, the conservative party's floor leader, also criticized Lee's rhetoric, saying references to a "last chance" amounted to an extreme, threatlike message that could unsettle the housing market.
"Social media itself is not the problem," Song said. "The problem lies in the president's messages, which lack sufficient caution and refinement."
Song added that if Lee personally uploads such posts, he should reflect on his conduct, or if a designated aide is responsible that person should be dismissed.
flylikekite@heraldcorp.com
