Poet & Columnist Jung Jae-hakLee Jae-myung, you will understand this better as you age, but for the sake of the Republic of Korea, there is something I must tell you in advance. 

'A president’s every step, from protecting the lives and property of the people to forging and safeguarding history, carries great weight. Therefore, a president must live for honor above all else. You, Lee Jae-myung, must realize why the greatest presidents in history found their reason for existence not in power, but in honor.'

Striving for honor is no different from cultivating the presidency into something noble and beautiful. It means being a president who strives to ensure that the office is no longer wounded, no longer shamed, and no longer left isolated. Because people—even those who are not presidents—naturally despise the tainting of their own names and cherish their honor, they dread, above all else, leaving a stain of infamy for their descendants.

Infamy arises from sordid acts. In that regard, Lee Jae-myung, it is highly likely that you will be remembered in history not as a president, but as someone who stained the honor of the Republic of Korea. It even feels as though the descendants of your descendants might one day kick the tombstone bearing the name "Lee Jae-myung." It is the same principle that explains why the public's sentiment toward Kim Dae-jung has grown increasingly cold as the years pass.

Just as evil begets evil, the descendants of Kim Dae-jung are now embroiled in deep discord. Their standing as a presidential family has long since vanished. Thus, one can infer that the karmic debt accumulated by Kim Dae-jung is truly vast and profound.

The ones currently dragging Lee Jae-myung's name through the mud are his own cabinet nominees. Based on what has been revealed so far, Lee Jae-myung’s cabinet can hardly escape the label of a "trash bin."

The plagiarism of a disciple's thesis by Education Minister nominee Lee Jin-sook and the excessive power-tripping controversy involving Kang Sun-woo’s aide are prime examples. Then there is Kim Min-seok’s history with the Juche faction and his defamation of North Korean defectors, along with unexplained overseas education expenses for his children and money allegedly lent by a deceased elderly couple. One can only guess how much more corruption remains hidden.

The controversy surrounding Defense Minister nominee An Gyu-baek—a man who served in the reserve forces but is expected to represent 600,000 active-duty soldiers—is too significant to simply sweep under the rug. Is this not a matter directly linked to the survival of the nation? Furthermore, figures like Chung Dong-young, who refuses to identify the primary enemy, and Kim Young-hoon, who led the KCTU’s traitorous acts, are nothing but filth in Lee Jae-myung’s cabinet.

When Lee Jae-myung chooses not to select someone as trusted by the public as Lee Gook-jong, opting instead for those like Chung Eun-kyung, whose husband has issues with stock investments, there is no longer any hope to be placed in him.

The Left shares a common trait: "low quality." Lee Jae-myung himself must know this better than anyone. Furthermore, these low-quality individuals share the trait of not viewing themselves as such. In fact, they despise other low-quality people even more. The remarks made by Lee Jae-myung at the recent training session for newly appointed Grade 5 civil servants who passed the administrative exam prove this.

"Money is the devil. Therefore, do not be fond of money as civil servants. I have lived with integrity."

It is a scene worthy of a comedy, but I simply laugh it off, as I have seen this brazen attitude more than once. 

However, if Lee Jae-myung intends to distance himself from the "low quality," he must refine his cabinet. If he wishes for the face of the Lee Jae-myung administration to appear respectable, his cabinet must be polished. This is because the figures in the cabinet are, quite literally, the face of Lee Jae-myung. Consequently, it is difficult for Lee Jae-myung to gain the public's trust with his current cabinet.

He likely harbors a strong intent to reorganize the government by replacing the remnants of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration with his initial cabinet, but this shows a complete ignorance of the civil service. Civil servants are people who manage two cabinets; they will open the other door whenever the logic of factions dictates. Therefore, he should abandon the hope of replacing the entire government structure with his own followers.

In particular, placing Chung Dong-young as Minister of Unification under the premise of communicating with North Korea is anachronistic. His family operates a solar power company, and Chung himself is the one who proposed solar-related legislation. Appointing such a person as Minister of Unification destroys all credibility in Lee Jae-myung’s cabinet.

While it is said that "birds of a feather flock together" and that filth and roses cannot be placed in the same space, the face shown to the public must at least appear clean. That is the minimum courtesy owed to the people. 

And please, do not go around quoting the saying that "a bird flies with two wings." A bird flies with two wings of the same size, weight, and color. It is a decalcomania. Birds fly in one direction because they have the same destination and the same dream.

Do not forget: not a single person currently listed as a nominee is willing to confidently say, "North Korea is our primary enemy." Therefore, if Lee Jae-myung’s cabinet is branded a "Red Cabinet" and loses public trust, the backlash will be directed squarely at Lee Jae-myung himself. 

The U.S. will likely deny entry to people like Kim Min-seok, who has consistently maintained an anti-American stance. According to Hwang Kyo-ahn, Kim Min-seok is also allegedly linked to election fraud. Other ministers who show anti-American sentiments or have moral failings will likely face similar consequences. 

A situation where the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea is denied entry to the U.S. would signal a nightmare for our nation. Furthermore, the woman called the "First Lady" might also be barred from entering the U.S. due to CIMT (Crimes Involving Moral Turpitude). During the G7 summit, Kim Hye-kyung was already sidelined by the first ladies of other nations; she was excluded from the spouses' program.

If the Republic of Korea suffers a loss of national prestige and becomes an object of international mockery due to a "Communist cabinet," I will be the one to spit at you, Lee Jae-myung. And I likely won't hesitate.

A remark by Michael Breen, former president of the Seoul Foreign Correspondents' Club, stabs at the heart:

"Korean democracy is not ruled by law, but by a populace that has become a beast."

※ Columns by external contributors may differ from the editorial direction of this publication.