Incheon Airport Chief’s Facebook Posts Spark Controversy, Fueling Political Tensions
A public dispute between Incheon International Airport Corporation President Lee Hak-jae and President Lee Jae-myung has escalated, with accusations of “media play” and questions raised about the appropriateness of a public official airing grievances on social media. The conflict centers on criticism leveled by President Lee regarding the handling of illegal foreign currency exports, prompting a series of responses from President Lee Hak-jae via Facebook.
The initial clash occurred during a business briefing last December, where President Lee reportedly criticized Lee Hak-jae for providing an inadequate response to the issue of foreign currency smuggling, stating he did “not understand the business properly.” Lee Hak-jae, appointed by former President Yoon Seok-yeol and affiliated with the People Power Party, subsequently took to Facebook on the 14th to refute the criticism, stating, “I was scolded.” He further asserted that it is widely known that concealing dollars within a bookmark is a method that evades detection.
This public response quickly gained traction, with numerous media outlets reporting on the Facebook posts. An analysis conducted by ‘Big Kinds’ – run by the Korea Press Foundation – revealed that approximately 30 news articles directly quoted Lee Hak-jae’s Facebook statements on the 14th. Publications including , , , , , and reproduced the Facebook posts verbatim, while labeled the story as “breaking news,” focusing on Lee Hak-jae’s claim that searching for currency hidden in bookmarks falls outside the scope of the Airport Corporation’s responsibilities. also reported on a subsequent Facebook post where Lee Hak-jae expressed concern that the “bookmark dollar” method, previously unknown even to employees, had become globally publicized.
Critics have pointed out the unusual nature of a public corporation president responding to official reprimands through social media, characterizing it as a “complaint” directed at the appointing authority. Notably, few reports directly addressed this aspect of the situation. published a column defending Lee Hak-jae, arguing that mentioning the “bookmark” method inadvertently revealed smuggling techniques.
Lee Hak-jae further amplified his public campaign with a press conference on the 16th and another Facebook post on the 17th, shifting blame for the issue of foreign currency smuggling to the Korea Customs Service. He claimed the legal responsibility rested with the Customs Service and even requested “an accurate report based on facts” from the Chief State Affairs Officer while attending a National Assembly Standing Committee meeting. Six additional news articles on the 17th directly quoted this latest Facebook post. and framed the situation as a direct confrontation between President Lee and Lee Hak-jae, employing language like “the edge has been sharpened” and “a war of nerves” to heighten the perceived conflict.
While some opposition figures have criticized President Lee’s public rebuke of the Airport Corporation president, similar reprimands have been directed at Democratic Party members during work reports. During a plenary meeting of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee on the 17th, Rep. Bok Ki-wang questioned the appropriateness of Lee Hak-jae’s Facebook activity, asking, “Is this an appropriate attitude for the head of an institution?” Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Yoon-deok echoed these concerns, stating that Lee Hak-jae’s statement implied President Lee had inadvertently disclosed foreign currency smuggling techniques.
Adding to the controversy, Lee Kyu-yeon, Senior Secretary to the President’s Office for Public Relations and Communication, suggested on MBC’s Kwon Soon-pyo’s News High Kick that Lee Hak-jae was leveraging his appointment by the previous administration to deflect from his own shortcomings.
