Presidential Office: "Yoon to Film Belief Dialogue with KBS at Presidential Office Today... Broadcast on 7th" (Comprehensive)

Future Direction of National Governance Announced
Progress on Three Major Reforms: Labor, Education, and Pension

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the "Eighth Public Discussion on Livelihoods with the People - Medical Reform to Save Lives and Communities" held at Bundang Seoul National University Hospital in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on the 1st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the afternoon of the 4th, President Yoon Suk-yeol conducted a filming session for a New Year's interview broadcast with KBS at the Yongsan Presidential Office.

The Presidential Office stated that President Yoon filmed the New Year's interview with KBS that afternoon and detailed the future direction of state administration.

The pre-recorded interview is scheduled to be broadcast on KBS on the evening of the 7th. The interview was conducted by KBS anchor Park Jang-beom, and it is reported that the recording lasted about two hours.

This is the first time the Presidential Office has officially confirmed President Yoon's schedule for a New Year's interview with KBS.

President Yoon had not held a press conference for about a year and a half since his 100-day press conference on August 17, 2022. At the beginning of last year, he revealed his plans for state administration through an exclusive interview with Chosun Ilbo.

Yoon Expresses Regret for Causing Public Concern

After much deliberation, President Yoon is reported to have directly addressed the controversy over his wife Kim Geon-hee's receipt of luxury handbags ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. The Presidential Office has maintained the position that Kim is a victim, as the luxury handbag controversy was a trap involving a hidden camera. However, last month, Han Dong-hoon, the emergency committee chairman of the People Power Party, emphasized the "public's standards," leading to a direct clash with the party.

While some within the ruling party still claim it is a "hidden camera political plot," President Yoon is said to have actively expressed regret for causing public concern due to this incident.

President Yoon is expected to specifically outline his plans for state administration this year, including progress on the three major reforms in labor, education, and pensions.

The interview is also reported to include various policies mentioned during the eight public livelihood forums held this year, as well as measures to resolve the Korea discount in the stock market.

In political circles, attention is focused on whether President Yoon's interview can serve as a card to raise his approval rating for state administration, which has fallen into the 20% range.

According to a Gallup Korea survey conducted from the 30th of last month to the 1st of this month targeting 1,000 voters nationwide aged 18 and over (with a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points at a 95% confidence level and a response rate of 12.7%), 29% responded positively and 63% negatively regarding President Yoon's state administration. This marks the first time in nine months, since April last year, that his approval rating has dropped to the 20% range.

There is also growing interest in whether Kim Geon-hee will resume public activities in the future. President Yoon reportedly filmed part of a Lunar New Year greeting video with his aides on the same day.

However, criticism continues from the opposition regarding the fact that President Yoon's interview is a pre-recorded broadcast rather than live. Kang Seon-woo, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, said in a written briefing on the 2nd, "Are you so afraid to face the people? Is a pre-recorded broadcast 'direct communication with the people'?" She raised her voice, asking, "Are you more afraid of Kim Geon-hee's reaction than the people's scrutiny? Are you more uncomfortable with Kim Geon-hee's reproach than the media's questions?"

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