South Korean leader says livestreamed briefings may be more entertaining than Netflix

Sign up now: Get insights on Asias fast-moving developments

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung begun streaming presidential policy briefings as part of a push for more direct democracy.

PHOTO: REUTERS

SEOUL - South Korea’s leader has said that new livestreamed briefings in which he has dressed down officials might be “more entertaining than Netflix” as he seeks to boost transparency in contrast to his more autocratic predecessor.

Regular presidential policy briefings were long held behind closed doors, but Seoul has begun streaming them online as part of a push for more “direct democracy”.

The move is a stark departure from the previous conservative government under disgraced former president Yoon Suk Yeol, who introduced daily doorstep media briefings but scrapped them after just six months when they became too combative.

Yoon

was ousted in April

Mr Lee, who was elected in June, quipped during a session this week that some viewers may find the livestreamed briefings “more entertaining than Netflix”.

Some of the exchanges caused public amusement when they showed Mr Lee scolding officials over their answers.

In one, he told a cabinet meeting: “If you don’t know something, say you don’t know”.

“Trying to get out of a difficult situation by submitting false or distorted reports is the real problem,” he said.

Mr Lee said on Dec 17 that South Koreans were “the most democratically minded people in the entire world”.

“That’s why we should disclose as much information as possible,” he said.

However, the new arrangements have drawn some