South Korean President Lee Jae‑myung outlines AI, housing, privacy and stock‑valuation reforms

President Lee Jae‑myung used a series of July 16‑17 work‑report meetings to announce a range of policy measures. He ordered the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to increase field inspectors for illegal construction subcontracting, noting that only ten staff are currently assigned nationwide and urging rapid scaling.

Lee described artificial intelligence as a civilizational shift comparable to the discovery of fire, urging South Korea to become a leader and calling for safeguards against deep‑fake misuse. He also warned that digital sexual exploitation material is worsening, citing a rise from 90,000 cases in 2019 to an expected 318,000 in 2025, and called for stronger education and legal action.

A Gallup poll released on July 17 showed 52% of respondents gave Lee a positive assessment of his job performance. In a cultural note, he proposed designating December 3 as “People’s Sovereignty Day.”

Lee also urged faster passage of the “stock‑price suppression prevention law,” which targets companies with a price‑to‑book ratio below 0.8, and highlighted the government’s plan to raise fines for personal data breaches and introduce a reward of roughly 30% of the fine for whistle‑blowers, stressing that the measures are not aimed at any specific firm.