"Reviewed by the 2nd Secretariat Office"
"Medical School Quota Expansion Cannot Be Delayed Further"
Low Birthrate as Top National Priority
Total Fertility Rate Target of 1.0
Confidence in Korea-US and Korea-Japan Relations
Criticism of North Korea as "Irrational"
President Yoon Suk-yeol addressed the controversy surrounding his wife Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags on the 7th, stating, "It should be seen as a political operation," and added, "The problem was not cutting ties coldly." This marked the first time President Yoon directly expressed his position on the issue involving Mrs. Kim.
On the night of the 7th, during the KBS broadcast 'Special Interview: Visiting the Presidential Office,' President Yoon emphasized, "The fact that this was revealed a year later, right before the election, should be seen as a political operation," and added, "However, what is important is not the political operation itself, but clearly drawing the line and behaving accordingly to prevent such incidents from happening again."
Regarding the luxury handbag controversy, President Yoon explained, "It happened before entering the Yongsan residence, so it was a situation where security scanners could not be installed," and said, "My wife’s father passed away when she was in middle school, and the visitor is someone familiar with her father's acquaintances. It is truly difficult for the president or the first lady to treat someone coldly."
Yoon Calls Timing of Revelation Before Election a 'Political Operation'
President Yoon stated, "In my view, the problem was not cutting ties coldly," and added, "From my wife's perspective, it might have been difficult to reject due to various circumstances, but there are regrets." He continued, "I hope the public will hear a detailed explanation directly from me, but there are also negative situations that could arise from that," and said, "Going forward, it is necessary to be clear to prevent misunderstandings, anxiety, or worries among the public."
Regarding the claim of a political operation, President Yoon said, "They even brought a hidden camera in a watch, and the fact that it was revealed a year later right before the election should be seen as a political operation," but added, "From now on, I will be more clear and firm in drawing the line when necessary."
President Yoon also expressed that he is considering establishing a second secretariat or appointing a special inspector to prevent recurrence, but he expressed skepticism about their effectiveness.
He said, "There are talks about the Office of Civil Affairs, inspectors, and a second secretariat. The second secretariat is being reviewed by our secretariat," but added, "However, it seems that these measures do not help much in preventing such incidents."
President Yoon explained, "Even if there was a second secretariat, my wife could not reject the visitor, and since the visitor kept insisting on coming, they effectively notified and pushed their way in. If we cannot firmly block that, even with a second secretariat, they would inevitably meet," and added, "In any case, these systems, including the second secretariat, are currently under review." When asked if he had a marital quarrel with Mrs. Kim over this matter, he laughed and replied, "Not at all."
Yoon Says He Told Han Not to Interfere in Elections or Nominations
Regarding recent conflicts between the presidential office and Han Dong-hoon, the Emergency Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, over issues such as general election nominations, President Yoon stated, "I told Chairman Han that I would not interfere in election command or nominations."
When asked whether the conflict between the president and Chairman Han has been resolved and if Chairman Han is doing well, President Yoon replied, "Whether it is the president or the party leader, they must work for the country and the people, so personal matters are not important. I think it is wrong to judge based on such things."
When asked when he last communicated with Chairman Han, he said, "I haven't talked recently. We were close, but I said let's meet after the general election."
Regarding former presidential office aides running in the April 10 general election, President Yoon said, "Would there be a halo effect? The media will not stay silent, and the most important thing is how much distance the party and the presidential office keep. I believe it is impossible for the presidential office to have a halo effect."
He added, "Those running in this general election all had political ambitions, and I cannot stop them from running. Although I approved their resignation letters, I told them not to expect any special favors and that I myself do not have the ability to do that. I told them to compete fairly according to the rules."
Past Governments' Election Awareness... Expanding Medical School Quotas as a Path to Coexistence
President Yoon hinted that the government plans to accelerate medical reform. This includes expanding medical personnel, reducing legal risks for doctors, establishing a fair compensation system, and creating a regional comprehensive medical system with essential medical specialties.
Earlier, on the 6th, the government held the Health and Medical Policy Deliberation Committee and decided to increase the nationwide medical school admission quota by 2,000 students to 5,058 starting from next year's university entrance exams. In response, medical organizations have threatened to launch full-scale protests after the Lunar New Year holiday.
However, President Yoon emphasized, "Due to Korea's aging population and other factors, the demand for doctors is increasing, and increasing the number of doctors is necessary. Ultimately, national policy must prioritize the people," and added, "Moreover, Korea's medical personnel level is among the highest in the world, so expanding medical school quotas is an unavoidable task to promote the medical industry’s global market entry and the bio-healthcare sector." He continued, "In the past, governments were too conscious of elections and viewed this issue domestically only as a conflict among medical consumers, patients' families, and medical staff," and said, "In my view, it is a path where patients, their families, and medical staff can all coexist."
President Yoon also expressed his intention to produce tangible results in addressing the low birthrate issue, which he described as a constitutional duty of the president for national sustainability. He specifically set the total fertility rate target at 1.0, stating, "The nation must be sustainable, and one of the president's constitutional duties is to ensure the nation's sustainability. Despite significant financial investment and efforts over the past 20 years, there has been no effect," and emphasized that the Low Birthrate and Aging Society Committee will be operated efficiently.
Expresses Firm Trust in the U.S. and Japan... Says No Cause for Concern in Korea-China Relations
President Yoon expressed firm trust in South Korea-U.S. and South Korea-Japan relations. He noted that the South Korea-U.S. alliance has developed through last year's summit, and shuttle diplomacy with Japan has resumed, fully restoring relations.
When asked by the anchor, "How would you prepare if former U.S. President Donald Trump is re-elected in the U.S. presidential election this November?" President Yoon replied, "It is not appropriate to predict or comment on the election results of an allied country," but added, "Last year, a delegation of U.S. senators said meaningfully that 'even if the president changes, the Congress remains the same,'" and expressed confidence, saying, "The South Korea-U.S. relationship is about whether to strengthen and upgrade the alliance."
Regarding the impact of the forced labor compensation ruling on South Korea-Japan relations, President Yoon said, "The compensation ruling is a final judgment by the judiciary that no longer requires controversy, so the issue is how to resolve South Korea-Japan relations going forward," and emphasized, "Regardless of how future rulings on forced labor victim compensation are issued, South Korea-Japan relations have now been restored and are moving toward the future."
In response to concerns that the development of South Korea-U.S.-Japan relations might negatively affect South Korea-China relations, he dismissed the notion, saying, "China and we share the same philosophy and principles in foreign relations." President Yoon has previously stated in official settings that he expects qualitative development in relations with China based on mutual respect and reciprocity. On this day, he explained, "Free trade and multilateralism arise from an international order based on norms, so the mutual respect, norm-based international order, and common prosperity emphasized in South Korea-China relations share the same foundation. Therefore, the basic national policy and foreign relations principles between South Korea and China are not different."
Regarding the North Korean regime, which recently designated South Korea as a 'hostile state at war,' President Yoon described it as an irrational group and expressed a negative stance on the idea of South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons to counter North Korea's nuclear development. He criticized the North Korean regime, saying, "As a political group managing a country, they are not rational," and added, "If they were rational and reasonable, they would not have pursued nuclear development at the cost of ruining their economy."
When asked if he believes the nuclear umbrella provided by the U.S. is sufficient, he explained, "Because the public perceives it as insufficient, we have consulted with the U.S. since my inauguration, resulting in the Washington Declaration last year." He also noted that considering South Korea's scientific and technological capabilities, developing its own nuclear weapons would not take long, but said, "If we develop nuclear weapons now, we would likely face various economic sanctions just like North Korea. We must strictly adhere to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)."
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