Sangmin Lee: "I Wish Yoon Had Cleared Up the Luxury Bag Suspicion in the New Year's Interview"

"Recording Format... Freshness Declines"

Lee Sang-min, a member of the People Power Party, expressed disappointment over President Yoon Suk-yeol's special interview broadcast on KBS, saying it "did not meet the public's expectations."

On the 8th, Lee appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and pointed out, "The format was a predetermined pre-recording," adding, "When it's recorded or pre-recorded, doesn't the freshness drop significantly?" He continued, "The public is well aware of that," and said, "They want to see something vivid, but pre-recording likely diminished the effect of sincerity."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is responding to an anchor's question regarding the controversy over First Lady Kim Keon-hee's pouch during the special interview "Visiting the Presidential Office" aired on KBS 1TV on the afternoon of the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News, KBS

According to the Blue House, the interview the previous day was conducted without a pre-set list of questions. The anchor asked questions on the spot, and the president responded without a teleprompter. Regarding this, Lee said, "Since the president is an eloquent speaker and speaks confidently, I think a live broadcast would have been more effective," adding, "Covering various topics and having multiple people ask questions rather than just one person could have brought out more diverse discussions."

When asked about the most impressive part of President Yoon's remarks, Lee said, "When the anchor asked what kind of president he wants to be remembered as in the future, President Yoon shyly said he wants to be remembered as a president who loves children and is well-prepared for future generations," adding, "I hope that happens. To do so, communication with the public, although somewhat uncomfortable, is necessary."

Regarding President Yoon's explanation about the allegations of First Lady Kim Geon-hee receiving luxury bags, Lee said, "The claim that this is a political conspiracy is not an exaggeration; it smells very sinister. However, the fact that bags were exchanged back and forth is not viewed favorably by the public," adding, "In that regard, an explanation along with an apology might have been necessary. I think it would have been better to just brush it off and move on."

However, he noted, "As president, if he apologized, the opposition would call for investigations, national audits, special prosecutors, and demand that the First Lady come forward to explain directly. Given past patterns, there must have been political and strategic considerations."

Meanwhile, the opposition criticized President Yoon for not apologizing regarding the allegations of First Lady Kim's receipt of luxury bags. Kwon Chil-seung, chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a written briefing, "The president's shameless attitude is disheartening," and questioned, "'It's hard to be polite to someone,' 'I will act more firmly when dealing with people'?are these explanations for the luxury bag allegations?"