President Yoon Suk-yeol's National Address
"Everything is my fault, a result of my shortcomings
Sincere apologies to the people"
Denies allegations including those related to Myung Tae-gyun
On questions about First Lady Kim Keon-hee
"If the public dislikes it, she should refrain from external activities"
President Yoon Suk-yeol bows his head in apology to the public during the "National Address and Press Conference" held at the briefing room of the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the morning of the 7th. Photo by Yonhap News
President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 7th, "Everything is my fault and a result of my shortcomings," and expressed "a sincere apology to the people." He added, "My wife should have acted more prudently. Causing concern to the people is unquestionably a mistake."
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon held a public address and press conference at the Presidential Office, saying, "I believe the president's role is not to make excuses." Marking the halfway point of his term on the 10th, he introduced the achievements of his 2 years and 6 months in office and responded specifically to reporters' questions.
Notably, at the beginning of his address, President Yoon apologized to the public and stood up to bow his head. He said, "It is not shameful for the highest national leader to apologize to the people; it is a sign of respect and honor for the citizens."
Amid the political climate where his approval rating has hit a record low in the 10% range and allegations of interference in candidate nominations surfaced following the release of recorded phone conversations with political broker Myeong Tae-gyun, President Yoon’s direct apology is seen as a response. He emphasized, "I will return to my original intention and start anew," and pledged, "I will devote all my energy to working until the day my term ends on May 9, 2027."
President Yoon said, "I have truly worked tirelessly for the past 2 years and 6 months. While there may be many shortcomings in the eyes of the people, my sincerity has always been by their side," adding, "However, regardless of my efforts, there have been instances where I caused concern to the public." He also stated, "The initiatives started for the livelihood of the people and the future of the Republic of Korea sometimes caused inconvenience to the public, and issues surrounding my close circle also caused worry."
"Establishing a Perfect ROK-U.S. Security Posture with the New Washington Administration"
President Yoon promised to stabilize prices and the housing market, support small business owners and self-employed individuals, and expand welfare for the vulnerable. Regarding diplomacy and security, he said, "We will establish a perfect ROK-U.S. security posture with the new administration in Washington to firmly protect our freedom and peace," and added, "We will further advance security, economic, and cutting-edge technology cooperation within the ROK-U.S. alliance to expand the playing field for our youth and businesses." He continued, "We will also accelerate efforts to enhance the dynamism of our economy," emphasizing, "We will actively discover and nurture new growth engines such as the semiconductor industry and artificial intelligence (AI), strengthen policy support, and continue to actively pursue the complete restoration of the nuclear power ecosystem."
He pledged to steadfastly pursue the '4+1' reforms. President Yoon said, "The 4+1 reforms?medical, pension, labor, education reforms, and overcoming the population crisis?are tasks directly related to people's livelihoods and protecting our future," adding, "We will resolve excessive competition and open an era of livable local regions to find fundamental solutions to the population crisis."
Address Length Reduced to 10 Pages with Time Allocated for Q&A
The public address began at 10 a.m. and lasted about 15 minutes. Compared to the August 29th national briefing (42 minutes) and the May 9th second anniversary press conference (22 minutes), the prepared speech was significantly shortened. The Presidential Office stated, "We will explain all matters the public is curious about in detail through a Q&A with reporters," indicating an intention to reduce scripted remarks and take as many questions as possible.
With the extended Q&A time, President Yoon started the press conference seated. Considering his approval rating had dropped to a historic low of 19% (according to Gallup Korea), President Yoon, with a somber expression, focused on conveying sincerity rather than simply reading the speech. Early in the address, he stood up, moved beside the podium, and bowed his head.
Taking into account the controversy over self-praise during the August press conference, where remarks on the four major reforms (medical, pension, labor, education) and government achievements were prominent, this time the focus was on clarifying suspicions surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee and Myeong Tae-gyun. The plan was to overcome the crisis with an 'all-out press conference' style, answering all questions from reporters regardless of topic or field. Previously, President Yoon answered about 19 to 20 questions, but this time there was no limit. After answering questions, he even asked, "Is there anything else you want to know?" showing his willingness. The Chief of Staff, Policy Chief, National Security Office Chief, and senior aides all attended the press conference.
Officials from the Democratic Party of Korea are watching the live broadcast of President Yoon Suk-yeol's national address at the National Assembly on the 7th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min
Although President Yoon bowed his head in apology to the public that day, he denied various allegations raised by some. Regarding the allegations related to Myeong Tae-gyun, he said, "I cut off contact after the presidential primary," and added, "There was nothing inappropriate with Mr. Myeong, so there is nothing to hide." He also denied any possibility of interference in candidate nominations by Myeong.
President Yoon acknowledged receiving congratulatory calls from Myeong after his election but said there was no further communication afterward. He explained, "At the beginning of the election, since I knew nothing about politics, there were people who told me that it would be good to hear about local issues when visiting regions," adding, "Of course, I received such advice not only from Mr. Myeong but from hundreds of people."
"No Inappropriate Acts with Myeong Tae-gyun... Denies Allegations"
He also denied allegations of interference in candidate nominations during the transition period. President Yoon said, "During the transition period, I had to review personnel appointments for ministerial and vice-ministerial levels until 2 a.m. and continuously receive reports on the progress of the transition committee," adding, "I never told anyone to nominate a particular candidate." Regarding allegations of manipulating public opinion polls, he stated, "There was no reason to manipulate polls because the results were favorable," and emphasized, "I have never manipulated anything in my life." On allegations that First Lady Kim frequently communicated with Myeong, President Yoon responded, "I told her that after being elected president, the way of communication should change from before, and she has significantly reduced such interactions."
He also announced the establishment of a second secretariat to address issues related to the First Lady's external activities. President Yoon said, "Today, I appointed the head of the second secretariat," adding, "The second secretariat head will soon recruit staff to work together, and the office for the second secretariat is almost finished with renovations."
However, regarding the 'First Lady Kim Special Prosecutor Act,' President Yoon expressed discomfort, labeling it as 'political agitation.' He said, "Basically, whether to conduct a special prosecutor investigation is decided by the National Assembly, which appoints the special prosecutor and forms a large investigative team; no country operates otherwise," adding, "Appointing a special prosecutor opposed by the president and the ruling party itself is unconstitutional." He further explained, "The special prosecutor's duties are judicial, but this is political agitation," and noted, "In the past, hundreds were investigated without basis, some were indicted. The principle of ne bis in idem generally applies to investigations and prosecution. Conducting a special prosecutor investigation on this basis violates others' human rights."
Regarding the personnel reshuffle demanded by People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon, President Yoon conveyed that it would be carried out gradually rather than immediately. He explained, "While we must consistently maintain certain policies, the way we work and communicate with the public must always change and be renewed," adding, "I am always considering assigning the right people to the right positions." He continued, "However, discovering, selecting, and verifying talent, and considering how the public will perceive these appointments even if there are no issues in the verification process, makes it fundamentally difficult to implement quickly."
"Will Show Renewal Through Personnel at the Appropriate Time"
President Yoon said, "At the halfway point of my term, I can say that I have already begun scouting and verifying a talent pool to show renewal through personnel at the appropriate time," adding, "After the National Assembly budget is finalized, the budget for next year must be executed swiftly to ensure smooth livelihoods for the people. Also, considering the U.S. presidential election, with the (Trump) administration likely to take office in January, all frameworks will be set within a month or two, so I am thinking flexibly about the timing."
When asked by reporters to specify what he was apologizing for, President Yoon replied, "It is difficult to be specific," and elaborated, "My apology is for improper conduct and for the communication protocol between the president and the First Lady not being properly followed in the past, which caused unnecessary issues, so I apologize for that." He added, "The concerns caused to the people stem from the conduct of me and my wife and all related matters, so I will be more careful to prevent such incidents."
Attention is focused on whether public opinion will shift following this press conference. In May, President Yoon's approval rating remained largely unchanged at 24% (Gallup Korea) before and after the press conference, and in August, it actually declined from 27% (fourth week of August) to 23% (first week of September). The Presidential Office expects that the approval rating may rebound to the 20% range after the press conference. However, voices inside and outside the Presidential Office warn that if there is no public opinion recovery even after the press conference, managing the situation may become difficult.
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