Presidential Office Strives to Escape 'Speech Controversy'... Yoon Focuses on Economy and Security

No Direct Mention of Controversial Remarks by President Yoon
Macro-Financial Situation Review Meeting Held Amid Triple Highs in Inflation, Exchange Rate, and Interest Rates

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] As the controversy over President Yoon Seok-yeol's remarks during his visit to the United States spreads throughout the political sphere, President Yoon is showing a focus on economic and security issues without making any particular comments on the matter. Accordingly, the center of response seems to be shifting from the Presidential Office to the ruling party.

According to the Presidential Office on the 30th, President Yoon did not make any remarks about the controversy during his nine official public schedules and two door-stepping sessions (brief Q&A on the way to work) this week immediately after his trip. When reporters asked during a door-stepping session the day before, "The controversy is dragging on. Do you have any intention to express regret?" President Yoon paused briefly but walked away without answering.

Although Deputy Spokesperson Lee Jae-myung and other Presidential Office officials attempted to quell the controversy, the issue heated up the political atmosphere for about a week. Chief Presidential Secretary Kim Dae-gi held a briefing the day before but reiterated the position expressed at the previous high-level ruling party-government meeting.

Regarding President Yoon's controversial remark, "If these XX in the National Assembly don't approve, what will OOO be embarrassed about?" Chief Kim stated that OOO refers not to Biden but to 'Nalimyeon' and emphasized that fake news has caused considerable damage to our national interests. He also pointed out that he personally asked about the part that sounded like "these XX" and criticized the media for hastily reporting without verifying the facts.

While the Presidential Office remained tight-lipped, the battleground shifted to the National Assembly and civil society. On the 27th, the People Power Party declared that MBC, which first broadcast the video, manipulated subtitles and formed the 'MBC Biased and Manipulated Broadcast Truth Investigation Task Force.' Following a protest visit to MBC on the 28th, on the 29th, they filed a complaint with the prosecution against MBC President Park Seong-je and four related reporters for defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act.

In response, five civic groups including Candlelight Action, the Livelihood Economy Research Institute, and the Reform National Movement Headquarters filed a complaint with the National Police Agency’s National Investigation Headquarters against People Power Party lawmaker Park Dae-chul and party officials for false accusations. Particularly, professional press organizations have repeatedly expressed their opposition to the Presidential Office's claims of fake news.

The Democratic Party of Korea also defines the controversy as a false explanation by the Presidential Office. On the 30th, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party, directly criticized President Yoon regarding the vulgar remarks controversy, saying, "Even now, it is clear that 'Biden' was the correct name and that no insults were made."

Meanwhile, the Presidential Office appears to be trying to escape the pressure of the controversy through schedules and messages related to security and economic issues. First, with North Korea’s repeated ballistic missile launches, the South Korea-U.S. joint naval exercises, and U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris’s visit to Korea, the emphasis is on security based on a strong South Korea-U.S. alliance. During a door-stepping session the day before, President Yoon stated, "There is no free lunch in security. It is the foundation of all economic activities," asserting the necessity of the ongoing South Korea-U.S. joint naval exercises in the East Sea while condemning North Korea’s ballistic missile launches.

At the Cabinet meeting (on the 27th), the Emergency Economic Livelihood Meeting (on the 28th), and the Macroeconomic and Financial Situation Review Meeting (on the 30th), he highlighted issues such as small business owners, AI startups, and exchange rates, emphasizing solutions to economic problems. At the meeting on the 30th, President Yoon instructed, "The crisis that started due to external factors will be determined by how we respond internally. I hope the economic team, led by the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, will operate a 24-hour monitoring system of domestic and international economic situations and respond without any gaps so that the market and the people can feel reassured." The Macroeconomic and Financial Situation Review Meeting held that day was not included in the weekly schedule previously announced to the press corps.

A Presidential Office official explained, "With the continuation of high interest rates and high exchange rates, public anxiety is growing. President Yoon held the meeting to reiterate crisis management and to listen to voices from the private sector."