Three Key Highlights of President Yoon's Interview: Luxury Bags, National Governance, and Communication

KBS New Year's Interview Broadcast Likely on the 7th
Yoon and Han Expected to Be a Barometer for Opinion Coordination
Attention on Whether It Will Be a Card to Boost Approval Ratings

President Yoon Suk-yeol is listening to a participant's remarks at the "Eighth Public Discussion on Livelihoods with the People - Medical Reform to Save Lives and Communities," held on the 1st at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

※Sample: 1,003 nationwide respondents aged 18 and over, margin of error ±3.1 percentage points (95% confidence level), response rate: 3.3%, survey method: 97% wireless, 3% wired. For more details, please refer to the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is strongly considering revealing the direction of his administration through a belief dialogue with KBS on the afternoon of the 7th. Ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday, it is expected that President Yoon will directly address the controversy surrounding his wife Kim Geon-hee’s receipt of luxury handbags, which could have a significant impact on public sentiment.

On the 2nd, a presidential office official told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "The option of President Yoon conducting a New Year dialogue broadcast is being seriously considered," adding, "We are deeply contemplating the communication method and the effectiveness of message delivery." It is known that the plan has been narrowed down to pre-recording on the 4th and broadcasting through KBS on the 7th.

The main focus of this dialogue is how President Yoon will address the controversy surrounding Mrs. Kim. The key issue is whether the statement will be an ‘apology’ or an ‘explanation.’ The presidential office has maintained the position that Mrs. Kim is a victim since the luxury handbag controversy involved her being caught in a hidden camera trap. However, last month, Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, emphasized the "public’s expectations," leading the party and the presidential office to confront the issue head-on.

The tone of the remarks during the dialogue on the 7th is expected to serve as a barometer for how much the differences between the two sides have narrowed. It is also anticipated that institutional measures will be taken to reduce concerns about the recurrence of controversies related to Mrs. Kim. A presidential office official explained, "We are considering institutional supplementary measures such as establishing a second secretariat or appointing a special inspector."

Mrs. Kim’s Controversy Position and Direction of State Administration... Expected to Be Key Factors Determining Public Sentiment

The second issue is President Yoon’s New Year political plan as he enters his third year in office. With just over two months left until the general election, the concretization of this year’s state administration direction is likely to be a key factor in determining voter sentiment. Since the New Year dialogue has been delayed, it is expected that President Yoon will also disclose detailed plans for this year’s administration, including the progress of the three major reforms in labor, education, and pensions.

The ruling Democratic Party and other opposition parties, which hold a majority of seats, have been pushing various bills through the National Assembly, and the repeated exercise of President Yoon’s veto power has increased public fatigue. President Yoon has exercised veto power nine times, the second highest after former President Rhee Syngman’s 45 times. Therefore, it is highly likely that during the dialogue, President Yoon will personally explain the reasons for exercising veto power ahead of the April general election. Particular attention will be paid to whether he will provide an explanation regarding the rejection of the twin special prosecutor bills (related to the Daejang-dong bribery allegations and Mrs. Kim Geon-hee’s stock manipulation allegations).

The third issue is whether the dialogue will dispel the image of ‘lack of communication.’ Since his 100-day press conference on August 17, 2022, President Yoon has not held a press conference for about a year and a half. Although President Yoon has actively engaged in communication by holding eight public discussions on livelihood issues up to the day before, there are criticisms that this has not been sufficient to raise his approval ratings.

A Gallup Korea survey conducted from the 30th of last month to the 1st of this month targeting 1,000 voters aged 18 and over nationwide (with a sampling error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 12.7%) showed that 29% responded positively and 63% negatively regarding President Yoon’s state administration performance. (Detailed information can be found on the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website.) President Yoon’s approval rating falling into the 20% range is the first time since the second week of April last year.

A ruling party official said, "The decoupling phenomenon between the approval ratings of President Yoon and Chairman Han is a significant concern for the presidential office," adding, "This dialogue seems to also serve the purpose of soothing public sentiment before it gets any later."