On October 31, South Korean President Li Jae-myung posted on the social platform X, refuting the criticism from the opposition parties regarding his frequent overseas visits, saying, "Those with Buddha eyes see only Buddha, and those with pig eyes see only pigs."
On that day, he shared a post from a netizen opposing the idea that “visits are simply trips”. He wrote, “In the eyes of those who regard doing nothing, no preparation, just taking photos for show, leisurely drinking, shopping, and sightseeing as part of a presidential overseas visit, not to mention sightseeing, shopping, drinking, or dancing, even a highly intensive pre-visitation process, long flights, a dense official schedule that doesn’t waste even half a day, and intense work that requires constant intravenous infusions or nosebleeds during the overseas visits, might seem like a trip.”
He said that the members of the journalist group who accompanied former and current South Korean presidents on overseas visits might be the best judges of the intensity of the related work and the outcomes of these visits.
Finally, he quoted a common saying: “Those with Buddha’s eyes see only Buddha; those with pigs’ eyes see only pigs. Humans can only perceive what lies within the scope of their understanding. Please understand this.”
It is reported that these remarks are in response to the continuous criticism from the Korean National Party. During a parliamentary investigation by the Korea Association of Government Operations Committee, Kim Seung-soo, a member of the Korean National Party, pointed out that Lee Jae-myung had visited 14 countries abroad, and criticized First Lady Kim Hye-young for accompanying him.
On October 30, Wei Shengluo, Director of the National Security Office, explained that South Korea's increased international status has led to an increase in multilateral meetings. He also said that it is " customary for the First Lady to accompany them." He added that it is not fair to ask too many questions about why the First Lady was included in these meetings.
