Yoon says he will take unlimited questions at press conference

President Yoon Suk-yeol closes his eyes at the 2024 Global Saemaul Leadership Forum held at KINTEX in Ilsan Seo-gu, Goyang-si. Courtesy of the Presidential office photo press

President Yoon Suk-yeol decided to answer questions without limiting the field and number of the questions at a press conference on November 7. The intention is to actively explain the controversy over first lady Kim Keon-hee and the allegations against Mr. Myung Tae-gyun. The press conference is considered to be the last chance for his leadership and governance of state affairs. Even within the ruling party, there are calls for a message of “acceptance of the Special Prosecutor Act” to be included.

A senior official from the presidential office told reporters on the 5th that “President Yoon will answer all the issues in detail that the people are curious about.” The presidential office is preparing an “unrestricted” format for the press conference. At the press conference on August 29, the questions were categorized into political, diplomatic, social, and economic sections and they limited the number of questions per category. The presidential office explains that Yoon will say what the people want to hear rather than what he wants to say at an upcoming press conference.

The presidential office was initially preparing for the event at the end of this month, with the format to be a dialog with the people. But as the crisis deepened, with approval ratings plunging into around 10 percent and open criticism even from the ruling party, the schedule and format changed. The decision was reportedly influenced by the fact that the day before, floor leader of the People’s Power Party, Choo Kyung-ho, met with Yoon to suggest a plan to expedite the schedule, and his staff also expressed the same opinion. The presidential office maintains that Choo is the center of communication with the party and that his opinion was taken into account.

Whether the meeting will present a clear plan to resolve suspicions, including a Special Prosecutor Act, an apology to the public, and a sweeping overhaul, including a personnel shakeup, is seen as a factor that could shape the political situation in the future. “We will continue to prepare what kind of message we will give today and tomorrow,” a senior official at the presidential office said, adding that “Nothing has been finalized yet.” Yoon is expected to apologize for the released recording of a phone call between him and Mr. Myung and for the controversy over first lady Kim Keon-hee. Kim’s restrained activities and the official launch of an office for the first lady are also expected to be covered. However, it is unlikely to include the reshuffling of the presidential office, as demanded by Han Dong-hoon, leader of the People's Power Party.

Within the ruling party, there is both relief that the decision is timely and concern that the lack of a sweeping overhaul could backfire. “I think there will be measures that the people will be satisfied and fully understand,” pro-Yoon lawmaker Lee Cheol-kyu said on YTN radio. “I presume there will be measures that the people will fully understand. The presidential office seems to have thought that somehow the crisis can be overcome by the first trial of Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPP), which will take place on November 15.” said an official in the party's leadership.

On the other hand, Kim Jong-hyuk, a top member of the pro-Han Dong-hoon, told CBS Radio, “I'm very worried that the aftermath will be worse if the press conference is just an explanation that 'I tried to do this policy with good intentions. “Accepting Han's demands would be the minimum threshold,” a key PPP official said on the call, adding, “If they want to go further and to be reversed, at least we need to accept Kim's Special Prosecutor Act.” Another official of the PPP said, “It should be a sincere and frank apology that can make the other opposition party feel unexpected. If he emphasizes only the outcome of the state administration, it will only backfire.

※This article has undergone review by a professional translator after being translated by an AI translation tool.