[Insight & Opinion] Has President Yoon Really Changed?

On the 31st of last month, President Yoon Suk-yeol visited the National Assembly to deliver the policy speech on next year’s government budget proposal. The appearance and content of President Yoon’s speech that day were regarded as different from before. Upon entering the plenary hall, President Yoon approached the podium and extended his hand to shake hands with members of the Democratic Party of Korea. Even when some lawmakers turned their heads to avoid him, President Yoon continued to reach out his hand. The speech contained no criticism of the previous Moon Jae-in administration’s failures or attacks on the opposition party. The Blue House explained that President Yoon removed such content that was present in the draft. After finishing the speech, President Yoon held a meeting with the standing committee chairs of the National Assembly and shared a luncheon. At the end of the meeting, he showed a listening attitude by saying, “Since my memory is still somewhat intact, I will not forget a single thing and will keep it in my mind.”

The image President Yoon showed that day was completely different from before the by-election for the mayor of Gangseo District. Until now, President Yoon had openly displayed a hostile attitude toward the opposition party. Representative Lee Jae-myung even refused to engage with him and labeled the opposition as a ‘communist totalitarian force.’ Holding the Moon Jae-in administration accountable had become a routine agenda. Yet, President Yoon visited the National Assembly and humbled himself to communicate with the opposition party. This change is interpreted as a response to criticism that the ruling People Power Party’s by-election defeat was due to President Yoon’s unilateral and communication-deficient governance style, and a call for President Yoon to change. Such a change in the president is naturally a positive development. No matter how many times the People Power Party proclaims it will change by creating the ‘Inyohan Innovation Committee,’ if President Yoon does not change, all efforts will be in vain.

However, it is premature to judge that President Yoon has changed based solely on the appearance he showed that day. What matters is not the appearance or words but the substantive content of governance. For a genuine assessment of change, the core aspects of governance must change. There are many tasks, but I would like to emphasize two.

First, the divisive factional politics must be abolished and replaced with leadership that promotes unity. The Yoon Suk-yeol administration came to power criticizing the divisive factional politics of the Moon Jae-in government. However, the Yoon administration has also become trapped in divisive politics focused only on the hardline conservative base. Disappointed centrists turned their backs in large numbers, and the result was a vote of judgment against the government in the by-election.

Second, through balanced personnel reform, President Yoon must practically demonstrate that he has changed. The public is asking who the aides are that made the president believe that those responsible for causing the by-election should run and that ‘ideology is the most important thing.’ Since both the Blue House and the government are trapped in the same ideological group consciousness, there is criticism that no one dares to speak frankly, and President Yoon should listen carefully to this. Only when personnel appointments seek talents who think beyond factions and consider the future of the Republic of Korea, rather than ideological comrades, and appoint them, can we truly feel that President Yoon has changed.

Above all, the most important thing is for President Yoon to directly tell the people his commitment to change. President Yoon moved his office to Yongsan, saying he would communicate with the people. However, it has been too long since the people have heard directly from President Yoon, which is why this is said. There are still many mountains to climb before hearing the words, ‘The president has changed.’

Yu Chang-seon, Political Commentator

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