President Lee Jae-myung defended his recent social media expression on November 2, responding to criticism that it was crude. He stated, "The dignity of words comes not from the letters themselves but from the depth of insight contained within them." His remarks were interpreted as a retort to opposition claims that he insulted the public with his comments regarding frequent overseas trips.
On the same day, President Lee posted on X (formerly Twitter) a phrase titled '돈안지유돈 불안지유불 (豚眼只有豚 佛眼只有佛),' which translates to 'A pig sees only a pig, while a Buddha sees only a Buddha.' He introduced this phrase as a line from a dialogue between the monk Muhak and Yi Seong-gye during the Joseon Dynasty.
President Lee argued that if he had quoted the original Chinese characters, there would have been no controversy, but when he expressed the same idea in Hangul, he faced criticism for lowering the tone. He questioned whether phrases like '마이동풍' (the wind that passes by) and '조족지혈' (a drop in the bucket) would also lose their dignity if expressed in Hangul.
He criticized the tendency to judge expressions based solely on their form, adding, "To eyes that chase only the shell, only the shell will be visible." His comments came in response to a user's post that criticized media reports labeling his social media remarks as rough.
The controversy began with a post on October 31, where President Lee shared a user's assertion that his overseas trips were not mere tourism, stating, "A Buddha sees only a Buddha, while a pig sees only a pig." He emphasized the demanding nature of his trips, highlighting long flights and packed schedules, and argued that even a trip that requires intravenous drips and causes nosebleeds might appear as a leisure trip to some.
The ruling People Power Party reacted strongly, claiming that the president likened legitimate criticism to 'pigs.' Representative Jang Dong-hyuk criticized the president, asking if he viewed all citizens who criticize him as pigs.
This is not the first time President Lee has used such expressions, prompting a reexamination of his past comments. In January 2021, while serving as governor of Gyeonggi Province, he wrote on Facebook, "A Buddha sees a Buddha, while a pig sees only a pig," in response to a comment by then-opposition leader Joo Ho-young regarding potential pardons for former President Moon Jae-in.
On October 3 of the same year, during a press conference announcing regional pledges and a National Assembly audit, he used the same analogy to counter opposition attacks related to allegations of preferential treatment in the Daejang-dong development project. He claimed on October 20 during the audit that he had never been interested in illicit money, reiterating, "A Buddha sees a Buddha, while a pig sees a pig."
After taking office, on June 27, he also used the phrase in a post on X while addressing concerns about water shortages related to semiconductor investments in Honam, stating, "A Buddha sees a Buddha, while a pig sees a pig." At that time, the Blue House expressed regret over the spread of misconceptions and false claims regarding corporate investments in local areas.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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