Changes in Communication Methods Between Ministers and Staff... Presidential Office's Branded Public Communication Approach

Chief Secretary and Senior Officials Come Down to Press Room for Q&A Without Coordination
Ministers of Each Department Also Appear in Presidential Office Briefing Room Immediately After Work Reports

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] The Presidential Office has begun actively communicating not only by arranging briefings with ministers from various departments but also by having aides visit the press room directly. This move comes from the judgment that one-on-one communication, such as President Yoon Seok-yeol's doorstepping on his way to work, has limitations in explaining policy intentions.

On the afternoon of the same day, Kim Dae-gi, Chief Secretary of the Presidential Office, toured the press room with Choi Young-beom, Chief of Public Relations, and held a Q&A session with reporters. Kim said that he had been busy organizing the secretariat for about two months since President Yoon's inauguration and had not been able to come down to the press room, but added, "Starting next week, the chiefs will also come out to the press room diligently and communicate more."

Kim, who has usually expressed his belief that "secretaries do not speak much," was evaluated as unusual for directly communicating with reporters. Regarding this, Kim compared himself to a liquid crystal display (LCD) that creates images through backlight, saying, "My thoughts have not changed yet," and added, "The Chief Secretary acts as the backlight. Still, I will come down occasionally."

In this way, aides in the Presidential Office have recently been increasing their skip-ship visits to the press room without prior coordination. On the 22nd, another senior official headed to the press room without prior arrangement and engaged in discussions related to the Presidential Office's communication with the National Assembly. The official said, "Once the National Assembly is organized and the President is present, we will be able to talk about the regular session. The President will likely have various requests," mentioning the three major reforms and tax system restructuring that require parliamentary approval.

Ministers from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Unification, and other departments, unlike previous administrations, come directly to the Presidential briefing room to explain policies immediately after their presidential work reports. Reporters and ministers continue to engage in Q&A sessions not only on the short- and mid-to-long-term policies of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration but also on current issues such as real estate, North Korean nuclear issues, the West Sea public official incident, and the repatriation of North Korean fishermen.

The ministers will soon appear on radio broadcasts and other media to actively promote policies and respond to current issues, with President Yoon's plan to brand this style of public communication as a hallmark of his administration. Although President Yoon and the Presidential Office spokesperson hold daily briefings and ministers hold media briefings when necessary, there is a judgment that opportunities to help the public understand changing government policies need to increase.

At the Cabinet meeting on the 19th, President Yoon emphasized to the ministers, "Whether you do well or not, appear frequently in the media. It is okay if people say ministers are visible but the President is not," adding, "I hope many star ministers emerge."

At the ‘Yoon Seok-yeol Government Ministers and Vice Ministers National Agenda Workshop’ held on the 22nd, President Yoon also stressed, "Ministers and vice ministers should take responsibility and work so that policies needed by the people can easily reach the eyes and ears of the public."

Cabinet members, including ministers, plan to increase communication with the National Assembly to enhance cooperation on government policies and bills. Regarding communication with the opposition party, Chief Secretary Kim said, "History shows that especially during rapid changes in domestic and foreign environments such as the Imjin War and the Jeongmyo Horan, if we fought among ourselves, it led to ruin," adding, "Ultimately, the goal of politicians is the country's well-being, and the President instructed to 'communicate more with the National Assembly.'"

He also added, "President Yoon said, 'Ministers and vice ministers should wear out their shoes going in and out of the National Assembly,' and that pension, education, and labor reforms cannot be done without parliamentary cooperation."

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