President Yoon Attacks the Press but Stays Silent on Controversial Remark, Fueling the Debate Instead of Resolving It

President Yoon Suk-yeol heads to work at the Office of the President in Yongsan on September 26 after returning from his trip overseas. Office of the President press photographers

On September 26, President Yoon Suk-yeol opted to fuel the controversy rather than settle the debate over his foul comment. He concluded that the press reported false facts mentioning a threat to the people and demanded an investigation into the truth. Reportedly, the president claims that he does not remember what he said. The Office of the President continues to deny the president’s use of foul language. The presidential office and the ruling People Power Party (PPP) are following suit and focusing their efforts on changing public opinion. President Yoon, the person who made the controversial comment, has turned the issue into a game of truth or dare instead of presenting an apology or expressing his regrets. Thus a confrontation between contrasting arguments is expected to continue. The agenda in the regular session of the National Assembly, where lawmakers should be discussing major issues like the people’s economic situation and the economy, is expected to be dominated by the president’s controversial comment.

The president’s meeting with the press on his way to work at the presidential office in Yongsan this day was seen as a decisive moment in determining whether the controversy triggered by the president’s comment would escalate or be settled. President Yoon chose to criticize the press and keep silent on his own comment. His remark in New York on September 21 was cited by the press as “It would be so humiliating for Biden if these idiots don’t pass it in Congress,” which the president specifically attacked as an act undermining the alliance and putting the people at risk. Meanwhile, he did not say anything about what he had actually said. He also mentioned nothing about the heated debate over his disparaging the legislative branch, if his comment was referring to the South Korean National Assembly as the Office of the President had explained. President Yoon simply said that he would answer after the truth related to the “distorted press coverage” was revealed.

The Office of the President has also raised its level of defense. This day, an official from the presidential office met with reporters and denied that the president’s remark was aimed at the opposition Democratic Party of Korea. As for the use of foul language (translated into English as “idiots”), the official said, “No comment.” This was different from what Kim Eun-hye, the president’s senior press secretary said in a press briefing on September 22. At the time, Senior Secretary Kim explained that the president’s remark did not refer to the U.S. Congress or U.S. President Biden, and when asked if he was referring to South Korea’s National Assembly, she answered, “Yes, since it’s not Congress.” When asked about why the president called the National Assembly “idiots,” she said, “We are listening carefully to and are well aware of the people’s concern on the rough expression,” practically admitting the president’s use of offensive language.

The Office of the President appears to have changed direction and is now insisting that the president never used foul language. A senior official in the presidential office said over the phone this day, “At first, I don’t think President Yoon himself accurately remembered what he had said.” He continued and said, “We had two outside professional firms decipher his comment, and when we listened there was no offensive language.” Since the president never made any problematic remark, they claim there is no reason for an apology. The Office of the President concluded that the initial press coverage was distorted and is demanding an apology. One key official said over the phone, “When there is a fire and a thief has entered, an apology is not the issue, no matter what one may have said. We have to catch the thief first.” He then said, “Since it was a poisonous apple from a poisonous tree (non-admissible evidence obtained illegally), which started from incorrect coverage, we can’t use the non-admissible evidence that was obtained illegally,” and added, “I think the president also made a similar judgment.”

Some see the major shift toward the offensive in the presidential office and the People Power Party as an attempt to bring their supporters together. President Yoon’s approval ratings dropped once again due to several controversial issues during his recent trip overseas, and in some polls, his approval ratings have dropped below 30%. Some believe that the PPP and the presidential office is trying to instigate their supporters by making attacks on ideology against a “leftist press.” President Yoon’s approval ratings dropped 5% to 28% in a survey by Gallup Korea on September 23. A Realmeter poll released this day also showed that the president’s approval rating fell to 32.8% on September 23, following the debate over offensive language, from 36.4% on September 20.

Now that President Yoon has personally started a confrontation, a standoff seems inevitable for the time being. The Democratic Party is calling for the dismissal of the foreign minister, the national security director and the president’s senior press secretary. A rocky road is expected for the parliamentary inspection in October and the review of the Yoon Suk-yeol government’s first budget. There could also be friction on the formality and details of a meeting between the president and the leaders of the opposition party, which was scheduled to take place after the president’s return. The nomination and confirmation hearing of the deputy prime minister and minister of education, which has been delayed, could also be affected by the standoff.