Q&A Session to Address Various Issues
"Decided to Move Press Conference Earlier After Consulting Staff"
"Prepared to Respond Regardless of US Presidential Election Outcome"
President Yoon Suk-yeol will hold a press conference on the 7th to thoroughly disclose his stance on various recent issues and plans for government reform. Initially, President Yoon planned to create a public communication event around the end of this month, considering multilateral diplomatic schedules set for mid-month. However, due to the recording scandal involving the 'political broker' Myung Tae-gyun and escalating suspicions surrounding First Lady Kim Keon-hee, the press conference was moved up.
In particular, with the government's approval rating hitting a record low in the 10% range, voices calling for reform have grown not only from People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon but also within the ruling party, leading to President Yoon's decisive action.
The Presidential Office announced on the 5th that President Yoon will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. on the 7th at the Yongsan Presidential Office. This press conference is expected to be an opportunity for President Yoon to evaluate his achievements over the past two and a half years as he reaches the midpoint of his term on the 10th, and to explain in detail to the public how he plans to manage state affairs over the next two and a half years.
On this day, President Yoon is also expected to provide detailed responses on sensitive issues such as the First Lady’s matters and allegations of Myung’s interference in candidate nominations. Since the event will be conducted in a press conference format, it will proceed with a Q&A session where President Yoon will answer reporters' questions as concretely as possible. The Presidential Office expects this to be an opportunity for communication where the public can hear the stories they want to listen to, rather than a one-sided delivery of the president’s position.
Additionally, the Presidential Office announced that in the afternoon, Policy Chief Seong Tae-yoon will hold a briefing to present government achievements including the four major reforms, and on the 6th, Kim Tae-hyo, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, will explain current issues and achievements in the diplomatic and security fields.
The Presidential Office mentioned that with the U.S. presidential election underway and North Korea’s deployment of troops to Russia intensifying the Ukraine war situation, there are many factors the South Korean government must consider. A Presidential Office official told reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the morning, "The U.S. election vote counting begins on the 6th, and depending on the results, it will have a significant impact on the future political landscape of South Korea, the U.S., China, Russia, the European Union (EU), Japan, and others," adding, "Given North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia, the U.S. election results could influence the Ukraine war, which in turn could affect the situation on the Korean Peninsula, making this a week with many considerations." However, the official added, "Regardless of the outcome of the U.S. election, our government is well prepared to respond."
The initial plan to engage in public communication toward the end of this month was decided under the recognition that responding to diplomatic and security issues such as the U.S. election and North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia was a priority. However, dissatisfaction among opposition lawmakers escalated due to President Yoon’s absence from the policy speech the previous day, and with calls for reform surging within the ruling party, it is reported that after a meeting with aides the day before, the press conference schedule was abruptly moved forward.
The meeting between President Yoon and People Power Party floor leader Choo Kyung-ho the previous day also appears to have been a decisive factor in advancing the press conference. Choo told reporters at the National Assembly, "There were various discussions within the party, so I visited the Presidential Office yesterday," adding, "Originally, it was said that (President Yoon’s statement) would be around the end of November, but I suggested that an earlier date would be better, preferably before overseas trips, so that understanding of various situations could be enhanced."
A senior official from the Presidential Office said, "We have been preparing for the press conference, and taking into account the aides’ opinion that it would be better to have an opportunity to speak to the public before the overseas trips, we decided to hold the press conference," adding, "President Yoon will thoroughly address recent government issues and explain them to the public."
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