Pushback Against Political Attacks as "Frame Manipulation"
Lee: "It Is Only Natural to Be Criticized If I Had Actually Taken Vacation During a Disaster"
"Vacation Requests Are Administrative Procedures... Essential for Internal Coordination"
On the morning of the 27th, Chairperson Lee expressed her discomfort in a Facebook post, saying, "Of the standing commissioners, one nominated by the president and three recommended by the National Assembly have yet to be appointed." She referred to the presidential office's rejection of her vacation request five days earlier. Previously, on July 18, Chairperson Lee had submitted a request to the presidential office to take vacation from July 25 to 31, but it was rejected on July 22.
Kang Yoojung, spokesperson for the presidential office, announced to the media at the time, "Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoonshik deemed it inappropriate for the head of the disaster broadcasting control tower, the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, to request vacation during the severe disaster response phase, and therefore rejected it." The reasoning was that July 18, the day the vacation was requested, coincided with the 'severe' alert phase for storm and flood disasters. Subsequently, lawmakers from the ruling Democratic Party of Korea criticized Chairperson Lee's vacation request, suggesting, "If you intend to resign, take an extended vacation."
Chairperson Lee responded, "If I had actually taken vacation during a disaster period, I believe it would be natural for people to criticize and point fingers at me. For a minister-level official to go on vacation during a disaster period is unimaginable. However, requesting vacation and actually taking vacation are two entirely different matters."
She continued, "Requesting vacation and actually taking vacation are completely different matters. Vacation requests are administrative procedures, and minister-level officials are required to submit their requests at least one week in advance. Since there are quite a few cases reported to the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, even if I had taken vacation, I planned to stay at home. I also informed the executives that I would immediately respond if an emergency situation arose."
She particularly emphasized, "If a natural disaster or emergency, such as heavy rainfall, were to occur on the 23rd or 24th before the vacation period, the vacation would, of course, be canceled. That is common sense. Anyone who works in the media knows very well that it is common to be called back during vacation for emergencies, and that this is accepted as a matter of course."
She also stressed that her vacation request was an important procedure for identifying the vacation schedules of executives within the organization in advance. Chairperson Lee stated, "In any organization, vacation requests must be made in advance. Minister and vice-minister vacations must not overlap, so it is necessary to check the vacation schedules of executives in advance to prevent any work gaps. It is essential to identify and coordinate schedules in advance to avoid the unfortunate situation where all executives' vacations overlap at once."
Chairperson Lee argued that attacking her for merely requesting, rather than actually taking, vacation during a disaster was "frame manipulation," stating, "As someone who has always been known for my strong work ethic, I can only feel bewildered and bitter about the news of my vacation being rejected." She also recalled her experience in 2003, when she left her four-year-old daughter to cover the outbreak of the Iraq War, saying, "As a journalist from the Republic of Korea, I have a record of entering Baghdad to realize the 'greater cause' of covering the Iraq War, a major historical event. Only those who have risked their lives for a greater cause should cast stones at me."
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