"Let's Have a Cup of Coffee" Yoon Strengthens Communication by Establishing an Official Press Room in Tongui-dong

Yoon Visits Tent Press Room Two Days in a Row
"Order to Establish an Official Press Room at Tonguideong Office"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] With the phrase "Let's have a cup of coffee," President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol, who visited the tent press room for two consecutive days, has instructed to establish an official press room in the Financial Supervisory Service Training Institute building used by the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Seoul. The intention is to frequently meet with reporters, directly listen to public opinion, and not avoid communicating anything important personally.

Won Il-hee, senior deputy spokesperson of the transition committee, stated on the 27th, "A press room will be set up on the first floor of the Tongui-dong (transition committee office), and due to the president-elect's will to 'strengthen communication with the media,' the large conference room will be moved to the Financial Supervisory Service Training Institute in Samcheong-dong."

This direction is quite different from some concerns that communication with reporters might only last for two days as President-elect Yoon passed by the tent press room on the 25th. Before going to work that day, Yoon posted on his social media about North Korea's launch of the Hwasong-17 intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), saying, "We sternly warn North Korea. There is nothing to gain from provocations." Because of this, reporters filled the tent press room early in the morning to hear his remarks directly. A transition committee official explained, "On the 25th, the situation was severe due to the North Korean missile launch, so President-elect Yoon's related meetings continued and ended late at night."

Inside and outside the transition committee, this is seen as a willingness to operate the 'first-floor press center' that will be created in the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, where the presidential office will later move, during the transition phase. President-elect Yoon has openly stated his plan to relocate the presidential office to the Ministry of National Defense building and place a press center on the first floor to communicate with reporters. A transition committee official said, "Since President-elect Yoon has a strong desire to be close to reporters and communicate directly, he will frequently visit the first-floor press room and communicate as he does now."

Previously, the transition committee had set up a press room in Samcheong-dong, but when reporters gathered on the street in front of Yoon's office in Tongui-dong, he reportedly instructed to "set up even a tent press room." After the tent press room was built, President-elect Yoon visited it on the 23rd and had a light conversation with reporters. He then posted on his social media, "I visited the press cafe," emphasizing, "I believe communication with the media is communication with the people. I will not hide behind aides and will listen more closely to the voices of the people."

On the 24th, President-elect Yoon again visited the tent press room and responded to questions about heavy issues such as the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the invitation to former President Park Geun-hye's inauguration, and personnel conflicts with the Blue House. In particular, regarding the abolition of the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, President-elect Yoon officially stated at the tent press room in front of the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong on the morning of the 24th, "It's a campaign promise, so are you saying I lied to the people during the election?" When President-elect Yoon visited the tent press room, key figures such as Ahn Cheol-soo, chairman of the transition committee, and Jang Je-won, chief of staff to the president-elect, also came to discuss current issues with reporters.