President Lee Jae Myung: "12·3 Coup, an Anti-Democratic Outrage"
"Freedom Is the Economy; We Must Prove Democracy Puts Food on the Table"
"The AI Revolution Will Advance Digital Democracy"
President Jae Myung is giving a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Political Science Association (IPSA) World Congress held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee Jae Myung has defined the series of events following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of the 12·3 martial law as an "insurrection," criticizing it as "stemming from a futile desire to annihilate opponents and secure permanent rule." He also emphasized the importance of innovation in democracy through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, stating that "freedom is, in essence, the economy."
President Lee Jae Myung: "12·3 Coup, an Anti-Democratic Outrage"
At the opening ceremony of the International Political Science Association (IPSA) Seoul Congress held at COEX in Seoul on the 13th, President Lee referred to former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of the 12·3 martial law, stating, "The president's absurd praetorian military coup originated from a desire to annihilate opponents and secure permanent rule, excluding dialogue and compromise." He continued, "Such anti-democratic violence, aimed at eliminating those with different views, led to unfounded distrust and violence against constitutional institutions, and the fundamental order of liberal democracy, which the people have protected with their blood and sweat, was mercilessly trampled."
The IPSA World Congress is an event where more than 3,500 political scientists from over 80 countries gather to discuss recent trends in global politics and future challenges. It is also known as the "Olympics of Political Science." This is the first time in 28 years that the event is being held in Seoul, since 1997.
President Lee praised, "Citizens surrounded the National Assembly and confronted armored vehicles and firearms with their bare hands, while lawmakers encouraged each other to climb over the Assembly walls to work toward lifting martial law. On the front lines, soldiers, as uniformed citizens, resisted unjust orders and defended their dignity and honor."
He further pointed out, "The insurrectionists may have shattered the windows of the National Assembly, but they could not even scratch the resolve of our people to protect democracy."
"Freedom Is the Economy; We Must Prove Democracy Puts Food on the Table"
President Lee Jae Myung is delivering a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2025 International Political Science Association (IPSA) World Congress held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News
Emphasizing dialogue and reconciliation, President Lee explained, "The core spirit of K-democracy is to thoroughly restore freedom, equality, and solidarity." However, he clarified, "The freedom I speak of is not merely the freedom from interference or restriction as some claim. As we witnessed through the praetorian military coup that destroyed the people's livelihood and economy, democracy and the economy are inseparable and indivisible."
President Lee continued, "In this era of crisis, where inequality, polarization, and waves of poverty hinder growth, freedom is the economy itself. Freedom means a warm meal that relieves hunger, a decent job that enables a stable life, and a social safety net that rescues those drowning in debt."
Quoting the saying, "Does democracy put food on the table?" President Lee asserted, "We must prove that democracy does feed the people. Democracy is the most rational and efficient political system to discover the potential and possibilities of everyone, to foster creativity, challenge, and hope, and to build a nation where everyone can dream. We must continually demonstrate this fact."
"The AI Revolution Will Advance Digital Democracy"
President Lee Jae Myung is applauding at the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Political Science Association (IPSA) Seoul Congress held on the 13th at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee stated that democracy must evolve into a "future-oriented democracy" where the collective intelligence of the sovereign people is fully realized, citing artificial intelligence (AI) technology as an example.
He said, "I believe the ongoing AI revolution will further advance digital democracy by facilitating rational debate and democratic decision-making, and by providing a valuable foundation for strengthening direct democracy. While there are concerns about the negative impact of technological monopolies on democracy, if it is unavoidable, we must instead proactively turn it into an opportunity."
President Lee also analyzed, "The AI revolution will serve as a singularity that opens a new future for K-democracy. It will help overcome the limitations of representative democracy, supplement the inefficiencies of direct democracy, and create an innovative democracy that meets the demands of the times."
Finally, President Lee stated, "The people's sovereignty government is continuously experimenting and innovating with direct democracy by introducing systems such as the national recommendation system, the national mailbox, and nationwide town hall meetings, making the voice of the sovereign people the compass of state affairs. In order to faithfully uphold the intrinsic values and spirit of democracy, which holds that all power comes from the people, we will normalize and institutionalize direct communication with the people and actively reflect it in state administration, moving toward a country where the people are truly the owners."
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