A Completely Changed Yoon's Commuting Q&A Scene... Reducing Remarks and Focusing on Expanding Aides

The Presidential Office Actively Refutes Allegations Through Media Briefings and SNS
Analysis Suggests Efforts to Overcome 'Message Risk' and Boost Approval Ratings

President Yoon Suk-yeol arrived at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the morning of the 20th and is responding to reporters' questions. / Photo by the Presidential Office Press Photographers Group [Image source=Yonhap News]

Kang In-seon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, announced on the morning of the 21st at a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul that the Ministry of Unification's presidential briefing has been postponed. /jeong@yna.co.kr [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Yoon Yoon-jin] A change in the communication style between President Yoon Suk-yeol and the presidential office with the media is becoming noticeable. The promise made during his candidacy, "I will not hide behind aides," seems to be faltering as he faces a negative approval rating in the 60% range just two months after his inauguration. Analysts suggest that the president has started managing his messages by reducing his own remarks and amplifying the voices of his aides.

Right after his inauguration on May 11, President Yoon showed enthusiasm for doorstepping, attempting informal communication. However, communication confusion with the government was revealed, such as "It was reported in the media that I was not briefed" (June 24), and he received criticism for impromptu answers that expressed emotions without filtering, like "Have you ever seen such an excellent minister appointed by the previous administration?" (July 5). A public opinion survey conducted by the Korea Society Opinion Institute on behalf of TBS from July 8 to 9 showed that 47.3% of respondents pointed to "the president answering without sufficient preparation" as the cause of controversy over doorstepping.

Conscious of public opinion, President Yoon’s doorstepping strategy has shifted to answering "less and more cautiously." The number and length of responses have decreased, and the content has become short and concise. Since resuming doorstepping on July 12, President Yoon has recently answered only an average of 2-3 questions, compared to the usual 4-5, or even 7-8 questions previously.

In his answers, he appears to avoid unnecessary political controversies. On July 18, regarding the question about the "repatriation of North Korean fishermen," President Yoon gave a principled response, saying, "There is nothing to add beyond the principle that it must proceed according to the Constitution and laws," and ended the press conference in 34 seconds. On July 20, when asked about the "special pardon for Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong on Liberation Day," he avoided a direct answer, stating, "The principle is not to mention pardon issues at all." However, regarding the "Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering subcontractor union strike," he supported the government’s tough stance, saying, "Illegal acts must be resolved quickly and normalization achieved."

Meanwhile, there is an assessment that presidential aides are taking a front-line role in responding to issues to disperse President Yoon’s "message risk." It is said that the president has started responding to controversies arising from directly refuting allegations and criticism that "aides are not visible." On July 19, at a Cabinet meeting, President Yoon reportedly urged ministers and senior presidential secretaries, "Have confidence and appear frequently in the media to explain policies to the public often," calling for active communication with the media.

Accordingly, the presidential office is showing a more proactive stance in expressing positions on political matters than before. On July 17, Choi Young-beom, the presidential office’s chief public relations secretary, held his first official briefing and directly confronted the controversy by criticizing the Moon Jae-in administration over the repatriation of North Korean fishermen. After the briefing, Choi explained to reporters, "There is no need to overinterpret why this was the first briefing topic," adding, "I came down because you repeatedly asked me to come down to the communication office. I thought it would be good to meet and explain directly at least once or twice a week."

Responses to personnel controversies have also shifted from passive methods like written briefings. Previously, the presidential office dismissed repeated personnel controversies, such as accompanying civilians on overseas trips, with explanations like "fair personnel" and "no legal issues." However, with aides taking the microphone directly and offering detailed rebuttals, a firm response has begun. On July 19, presidential spokesperson Kang In-sun countered allegations of unfair hiring during a media briefing, stating, "No previous government has indiscriminately attacked young staff who worked during elections as private hires." On July 20, Kang Seung-gyu, senior secretary for civil society, attracted attention by appearing on radio to express his position, following a post on social media the previous day, becoming the first presidential aide to do so.

Some interpret President Yoon’s changed message management as a strategy to overcome low approval ratings. In fact, a survey conducted by R&Search on behalf of NewsPim from July 16 to 18 showed that positive evaluations of President Yoon’s governance rose by 3.1 percentage points from the previous week to 35.6%, while negative evaluations decreased by 2.4 percentage points to 61.6%. (For detailed information on the cited survey, refer to the Central Election Poll Deliberation Commission website)

Yoon Tae-gon, head of the political analysis office at The Moa, advised on July 20 on CBS Radio’s "Kim Hyun-jung’s News Show," "Even if the public only thinks that (President Yoon) is aware of the issues, the downward trend can stop. To see a meaningful rebound in approval ratings, he needs to show that he is doing well."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.