[Tonguidong 24 Hours] Tent Press Room Visited More Than Briefing Room... Yoon's Symbol of Communication

No Reporting Space Leads to Makeshift Solution
President-Elect Visits Here More Than Briefing Room
'Kimchi Jjigae' Remark Also Made Here

President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is having coffee and answering questions at the tent press room in front of the transition team office in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 24th of last month. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] "Let's have a cup of coffee."

Last month, the 'tent press room' set up in front of the Presidential Transition Committee (Transition Committee) office in Tongui-dong, Seoul, has been recognized as a symbol of communication for President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol.

According to the transition team on the 8th, President-elect Yoon has visited the tent press room a total of four times since its installation on the 23rd of last month. This is more frequent than his visits to the briefing room on the first floor of the building (2 times).

The tent press room, about 66㎡ (approximately 20 pyeong) in size, was created as a last resort. Initially, the Transition Committee had prepared a press room and briefing room in the Samcheong-dong Financial Training Center building, but reporters gathered in front of the Tongui-dong office where President-elect Yoon stayed. This location also houses the workspaces of key figures such as Ahn Cheol-soo, the Transition Committee Chairman, and the Planning and Coordination Division. There was no designated space for the press. Reporters following the news had no choice but to wait outside the building. A transition team official explained, "We strongly recommended that if communication with the public is important, a dedicated press space must be actively provided," adding, "There was no suitable space inside the Financial Supervisory Service training center, so the tent press room was created as a result."

In particular, the transition team believes that the casual conversation held at the tent press room on the day it was installed was effective in terms of 'communication with the public.' The idea of cooking kimchi stew after inauguration also originated from this setting. One official said, "Being a 'prosecutor-turned-president' has always been a burden," and added, "It is positive in that it establishes and utilizes a channel for communication with the public."

The tent press room has become the Transition Committee's 'living room.' Not only Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman, and Jang Je-won, the President-elect’s chief secretary, but also Han Duck-soo, the Prime Minister nominee, visited the tent press room first to greet others.