[Choice Times=Joo-hyun Park, CEO of Jaedam Entertainment]

There is a saying doctors often repeat.

“Cancer patients ultimately die not from the cancer cells themselves, but from complications like colds or pneumonia that strike after their immune systems have collapsed.”

But if a doctor gives up on treating the cancer and keeps prescribing cold medicine nonstop, is that really a doctor? That’s a quack—or an undertaker.

That was exactly what came to mind when I read the Facebook post President Lee Jae-myung uploaded on the 20th.

“No one should lose their life because they are hungry… We will significantly expand support for heating bills and food.”

The words sound polished enough. The familiar “emotional touch” that brings tears to people’s eyes is still there.

But reading this news, my anger rose to my throat. South Korea’s economy right now is suffering from terminal-stage cancer called a soaring exchange rate.

As the exchange rate flirts with 1,500 won to the dollar, the cost of imported gas rises, flour prices jump, and feed prices explode. Why are heating bills so high? Why has table inflation gone insane? It’s all because of that cancerous tumor called the exchange rate.

Now look at the president’s prescription. Instead of trying to remove the tumor, he’s placing a wet towel on the forehead for a fever and tossing out a single hot pack because it’s cold.

“Here, feel a little warmer now? See how kind I am?”

And then he congratulates himself.

Why is this insanity? Because prices are skyrocketing right now precisely because the value of money has become worthless. And in that situation, the government says, “It’s hard, so we’ll give you more money,” hands out vouchers, and loosens fiscal spending even further?

That’s like saying, “There’s no water to put out the fire, so let’s pour oil on it instead.” Print more money, and the won’s value falls further, the exchange rate rises higher, and prices climb even more. You’re flooring the accelerator on a vicious cycle.

“So that no one gives up on life because they’re hungry”?

Mr. President, what truly makes people give up on life isn’t hunger—it’s the absence of hope. It’s the despair of watching my salary turn into toilet paper because of an exploding exchange rate, no matter how hard I work.

The “Just-Share” program? Forcing civil servants to organize discount events?

That’s the job of charities or neighborhood heads. If you’re the head of state, shouldn’t you confront global financial markets head-on, impose tightening, or open export routes for companies—and start by fixing the exchange rate?

A doctor comforting a cancer patient who’s vomiting blood by saying, “Oh dear, coughing must be tough—here, have a sweet herbal tonic.” It may taste good for a moment, but it leads straight to the patient’s death.

Please stop pretending to work and actually do the work. If you can’t control the exchange rate, the vouchers you’re handing out will be worth less than firewood this winter—just scraps of paper.

Honestly… just look at the exchange rate already.

#ExchangeRateCrisis #EconomicPolicy #FiscalPopulism