South Korean President Lee shared a supporter's post containing a derogatory term aimed at critics, then deleted it, according to 조선일보. The Chosun Ilbo reports that the episode prompted calls from within his own camp for supporters to keep their backing dignified.
The term at the center of the dispute, rendered in Korean as "문조털래유," was used in the post Lee circulated before removing it.
Commentator and former lawmaker Yoo Si-min weighed in on the incident, saying that supporters who use such disparaging labels end up isolating the president politically, MBC News reported. Yoo described those supporters as stones lodged in Lee's shoe and said they should be shaken out, according to 머니투데이.
The Hankook Ilbo also carried the account of Lee's share-and-delete and Yoo's remark that the stones must be cleared away.
Separately, Cho Kuk said the president's wishes should be followed and that politics built on slurs and division should stop, v.daum.net reported.
The exchanges reflect a continuing argument inside the president's support base over how sharply to attack opponents, with critics of the insults arguing that such language damages Lee more than it helps him.
What to watch next is whether Lee or his office issues a direct statement on the conduct of his supporters, and whether the episode changes how his allies campaign online.