Cabinet Appointments Finalized in Just One Month
Swift Action on Supplementary Budget and Diplomatic Debut
Town Hall Format and Direct Answers from the President
Promptly Addressing Public Questions to Build Momentum for State Affairs
President Lee Jaemyung's decision to hold a press conference just one month after taking office is unprecedented. Previous presidents, including President Moon Jaein, who formed a new government following the impeachment of his predecessor, typically held their first official briefing around 100 days after inauguration. President Lee demonstrated a strong commitment to prompt communication by boldly moving up the timeline.
Having launched his administration without a Presidential Transition Committee and worked tirelessly since, President Lee appears intent on quickly addressing questions about his achievements thus far and the future direction of state affairs through a "town hall meeting" format, thereby turning this into momentum for his administration.
The president's first press conference carries political and symbolic significance far beyond that of a routine event. Not only the timing, but also the duration, format, and topics covered all become newsworthy. Former President Park Geunhye held her first press conference 316 days after taking office, which reinforced her image of being uncommunicative. Former President Yoon Sukyeol, during his 100-day press conference that lasted 54 minutes, spent about 20 minutes criticizing the previous administration, drawing harsh criticism.
With this press conference, President Lee has come to be seen as having achieved early stabilization of state affairs. He has completed all senior appointments, including Chief of Staff, Policy Chief, National Security Advisor, Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, and Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning. In addition, he has finalized the appointments of 17 ministers, except for those of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
The format of the press conference, which took the form of a town hall meeting favored by President Lee, is also noteworthy. President Lee engaged in a question-and-answer session covering key areas such as livelihoods and the economy, politics, foreign affairs and security, and society and culture. Rather than a one-sided briefing, it was structured so that the president directly answered core issues of public interest. At the "Gwangju Citizens and Jeonnam Residents Town Hall Meeting" held at the National Asia Culture Center in Gwangju on June 25, President Lee listened to citizens' voices and, on the spot, decided that the government would directly address the Gwangju-Muan Airport issue, drawing attention.
From his first day in office, President Lee established an Emergency Economic Situation Task Force (TF) and, after focusing on restoring the livelihood economy for a month, submitted a supplementary budget bill totaling 30.5 trillion won. He also announced policy directions for fostering science and engineering talent, such as building an "AI Expressway."
In politics, he sought to restore cooperation by arranging a series of meetings with both ruling and opposition party leaders as well as representatives of minor parties. By retaining some officials from the previous administration in his new cabinet, he strengthened his image of unity. In foreign affairs and security, he made his multilateral diplomatic debut by attending the Group of Seven (G7) Summit just 14 days after taking office, and highlighted pragmatic diplomacy through bilateral meetings with leaders of major countries. In the social and cultural sphere, he conveyed the message that "culture is national power" during a roundtable with the cultural and artistic community, promising to enhance support for artists and improve the creative environment.
President Lee is expected to continue holding press conferences and town hall meetings as needed to directly address questions from the public and the media. On June 10, he had a tea meeting with reporters at the presidential office's convenience store, and on June 11, he had lunch with some reporters at the press cafeteria. On June 16, while en route to Canada for the G7 Summit, he voluntarily held an unscheduled 20-minute in-flight briefing aboard the presidential plane.
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