Yoon-Han Conflict Reconciled After Two Days, Livelihood Debate Held
Attendance at GTX C Line Groundbreaking Ceremony
Luxury Bag Controversy to Be Explained Through Dialogue Review
As the conflict between President Yoon Suk-yeol and Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, entered a reconciliation phase, President Yoon resumed the public livelihood discussion forums. The intention is to resolve the party and presidential office conflicts and accelerate efforts on public welfare to bring the conflict to an early close. It is also reported that President Yoon is actively considering directly addressing the controversy surrounding his wife, Kim Geon-hee, regarding the receipt of luxury handbags as early as this month.
On the 25th, President Yoon held the sixth public livelihood discussion forum under the theme "30-minute Commute Era, Resolving Transportation Disparities." He had missed the fifth forum on the 22nd, citing a cold as the reason for his absence.
Voices of regret over the president's absence on that day were strong both inside and outside the government. This was because measures directly related to citizens' lives were announced, such as easing regulations to allow large supermarkets, which are mandated to close twice a month, to do so on weekdays as well as public holidays, and completely abolishing the Device Distribution Act to encourage free subsidy competition among mobile carriers and agencies. It was said that if the president had attended, the policy promotion effect would have been greater.
To dispel such concerns, at the sixth public livelihood discussion forum, President Yoon actively introduced measures to alleviate the commuting traffic congestion in the metropolitan area and address transportation infrastructure issues in local regions. He promised the smooth progress of the Metropolitan Area Express Train (GTX) project and announced plans to promote express metropolitan railways in a total of four major metropolitan areas so that local regions can also enjoy GTX-level high-speed express railway services. Through the forum, he also attentively listened to the voices of the people.
After the forum, President Yoon attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the GTX Line C held at the multipurpose gymnasium of Uijeongbu City Hall. The GTX Line C connects Deokjeong Station in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, to Cheongnyangni Station and Samseong Station in Seoul, extending to Suwon City in Gyeonggi Province, covering 86.46 km. With a maximum speed of 180 km/h, it is about three times faster than the subway and is being developed with 14 stations, all of which will be transfer stations to regular subway lines.
In his commemorative speech, President Yoon said, "The promotion of the express metropolitan railway will not only drastically reduce the commuting time for the people but also create new business opportunities along the GTX C line and supply new housing sites in station areas," congratulating the groundbreaking.
After the groundbreaking ceremony, President Yoon visited Uijeongbu Jeil Market, a representative traditional market of Gyeonggi Province, to encourage the merchants. It was his first visit to Uijeongbu Jeil Market in 2 years and 2 months since November 2021, when he was a presidential candidate. Uijeongbu Jeil Market originated from a makeshift oil market established by displaced persons who settled near the armistice line after the Korean War, and it has now grown into a large-scale traditional market with over 600 stores.
President Yoon toured various shops including a rice cake shop, a fish store, and a side dish shop together with the market merchants' association president and Oh Young-joo, Minister of SMEs and Startups. At the rice cake shop, he said, "Are sales good ahead of the holidays?" and "I should buy some," purchasing rice cakes himself. At the tteokbokki shop, he drank fish cake broth and gave a thumbs-up to the owner.
Later, President Yoon had lunch with market merchants nearby, sharing Budae-jjigae, a representative dish of Uijeongbu, engaging in candid conversations.
At this occasion, President Yoon emphasized, "While expanding parking lots and improving the traditional market environment are important, it is also crucial to improve the aging of stores for safety." He also said, "It is important to make traditional markets not only places for purchasing goods but also representative spaces for culture and tourism," adding, "When a market has signature products or foods, they become brands that attract people."
In this regard, President Yoon instructed Minister Oh Young-joo, who accompanied him, to "actively consider revitalization plans for traditional markets, such as tour programs that allow market merchants to visit excellent markets around the world to learn."
Following the public livelihood discussion forum, the GTX Line C groundbreaking ceremony, and the visit to the traditional market, President Yoon, who has resumed his public livelihood activities, is also actively considering directly addressing the controversy surrounding his wife Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags. It is likely that he will explain the issue during a New Year's interview with a specific media outlet while outlining his plans for state administration. There is concern that if the timing is missed, public opinion could worsen and negatively affect the general election, so a direct explanation by the president before the Lunar New Year holiday is being positively considered.
A presidential office official said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the same day, "Our position remains that the controversy over Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags was an intentional 'trap hidden camera' incident," adding, "We are in the final stages of deciding whether the president will make a direct statement."
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