"Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Apologizes After Calling Reporter Who Questioned President Yoon 'Rude'"

Hong Cheol-ho called "rude" by Busan Ilbo reporters
Local press group "denies journalist's social responsibility"
Eventually apologizes... "Will refine original role"

Hong Cheol-ho, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs of the Presidential Office, is responding to committee members' questions regarding next year's budget for the Presidential Secretariat, National Security Office, and Presidential Security Service at the National Assembly Steering Committee plenary meeting on the afternoon of the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News

Hong Cheol-ho, the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs at the Presidential Office, who called a Busan Ilbo reporter "rude to the president" during President Yoon Suk-yeol's press conference, has finally apologized.

On the morning of the 21st, the Presidential Office issued a notice to reporters stating, "We are conveying the position regarding Senior Secretary Hong Cheol-ho's recent remarks at the National Assembly Steering Committee," and released an apology statement.

In the apology, Senior Secretary Hong said, "I apologize to the Busan Ilbo reporter and members of the press for making inappropriate remarks as the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs during the response to the national address and press conference at the National Assembly Steering Committee on the 19th."

He added, "I will refine my fundamental attitude and role as the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs."

Senior Secretary Hong's apology came in response to his 'rude reporter' remarks made during the full meeting of the National Assembly Steering Committee that day.

At that time, Senior Secretary Hong referred to a Busan Ilbo reporter who asked a follow-up question at President Yoon's national press conference on the 7th, saying, "The public might be confused about what the president actually apologized for," and said, "The attitude of questioning as if a parent is asking a child 'What did you do wrong?' when the president has already apologized should be corrected."

In other words, he called the reporter's question to President Yoon at the press conference "rude."

In response, the Presidential Office regional press corps issued a statement the previous day, saying, "Senior Secretary Hong not only arbitrarily overinterpreted reporter Park Seok-ho's question but also denied the role of the press and the social responsibility of reporters," and pointed out, "The role of reporters is fundamentally to monitor whether the president and government agencies are working properly."

They continued, "We demand Senior Secretary Hong's apology and explanation, as well as a responsible stance from the Presidential Office, regarding his use of expressions such as 'rude' and 'should be corrected.'"