Press Conference After 1 Year and 9 Months Since August 2022
Must Shake Off 'Communication Failure' Image Behind General Election Defeat
Likely to Address Sensitive Issues Including Special Prosecutor Law for Chae Sang-byeong
President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking after hearing the message conveyed by Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, during a summit meeting held on the 29th of last month at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
President Yoon Suk-yeol is scheduled to hold a press conference on the 9th to mark the second anniversary of his inauguration. This will be President Yoon's first press conference in 1 year and 9 months since the 100-day press conference in August 2022. Attention is focused on whether President Yoon will be able to shed his image of being 'uncommunicative' by expressing concrete positions on sensitive state affairs during this conference.
According to the Presidential Office on the 6th, President Yoon is concentrating on preparations for the press conference to be held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 9th. One day before the second anniversary of his inauguration on the 10th, he is expected to share his reflections on his governance through the conference.
A Presidential Office official said in a phone interview, "The press conference is being prepared for the 9th," adding, "Preparations are ongoing, and related meetings are scheduled for today as well."
This press conference is expected to proceed with a free Q&A session on various state affairs without limiting the topics. In previous administrations, questions were sometimes divided by sectors such as economy, society, defense, and diplomacy, but this method could give the impression of restricting questions.
At President Yoon's last press conference, the 100-day conference in August 2022, he made an opening statement for about 20 minutes and then answered 12 questions from reporters for 33 minutes.
Since 'lack of communication' was cited as a key reason for the crushing defeat in the April 10 general election, President Yoon is expected to focus on delivering persuasive messages on several issues of high public interest.
Key issues attracting attention include allegations related to First Lady Kim Keon-hee, whether to exercise veto power over the 'Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for the Investigation of Obstruction and Concealment of the Truth Regarding the Death of a Marine in the Line of Duty' (the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act), the revival of the Office of Civil Affairs, and the expansion of medical school quotas.
Among these, the allegations concerning First Lady Kim are considered central. Earlier, in a New Year interview with KBS in February, President Yoon explained the 'luxury bag acceptance allegations' involving First Lady Kim by saying, "It is difficult for the president's wife to be overly formal with anyone," but public criticism has not easily subsided.
Recently, Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok ordered the formation of a dedicated investigation team to swiftly investigate the allegations related to First Lady Kim, which adds a variable. In this regard, the Presidential Office is likely to build a defense argument against the opposition party's push for the 'Kim Keon-hee Special Prosecutor Act,' citing the ongoing investigation as the reason.
On the 3rd, Hong Cheol-ho, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Presidential Office, stated in an interview on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' that the Presidential Office opposes the Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act because "the police and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) are investigating the case, so it is legal to wait for the procedure to be completed."
Additionally, President Yoon is expected to mention in this press conference the revival of the Office of Civil Affairs, which he promised to abolish during his presidential campaign, the repeated exercise of the right to request reconsideration (veto power), and measures to respond to collective actions by doctors opposing medical reform.
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