[Column] The 'Communication President' Who Skipped the Retirement Press Conference

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] President Moon Jae-in will hold a dialogue with former anchor Sohn Seok-hee. He has replaced his final press conference before leaving office with a meeting with a specific journalist. Since the New Year's press conference scheduled for January was canceled, there is great disappointment among the Blue House correspondents who had been looking forward to President Moon's farewell press conference. No matter how much former anchor Sohn promises to ask questions from a 'journalistic perspective,' the diversity of questions inevitably falls short compared to a press conference conducted with multiple reporters.

In terms of the symbolism of 'communication,' President Moon has left disappointment. Since former anchor Sohn was a symbolic figure during the impeachment process of the Park Geun-hye administration, choosing him as the interlocutor at the end of his term inevitably invites political interpretations. It can also lead to misunderstandings that he only communicates with his 'own side.' A press conference with correspondents would have avoided political interpretations and misunderstandings. He has completely ignored the opportunity to hear voices representing citizens with opinions different from the 40% of the population supporting President Moon.

This aspect of President Moon is completely opposite to the aspirations he expressed when he took office in 2017. At his inauguration, President Moon declared, "I will be a president who communicates with the people frequently. I will personally brief the media on major issues. On my way home, I will stop by the market to have candid conversations with citizens I meet. Sometimes, I will hold large debates at Gwanghwamun Square," thus proclaiming himself a 'communication president.' Since the lack of communication by former presidents led to a loss of public trust and eventually impeachment, it was natural for President Moon to emphasize this at his inauguration. However, almost none of this has been realized.

Over the past five years, President Moon has held four New Year's press conferences, four press conferences based on his inauguration date, and two dialogues with the public. The Blue House explained that including press conferences during overseas trips, the number of press conferences exceeds those of former presidents like Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, but if they intended to take comfort in being better than former presidents who were shunned for 'lack of communication,' they should not have proclaimed themselves as a 'communication president' in the first place.

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