Yoon "Heeding the People's Will to Reform Governance"... The Remaining 3 Years, a Thorny Path for State Administration (Comprehensive)

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's Verbal Resignation Declaration
All Senior Officials Including Chief Secretary Resign

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 11th, "I will humbly accept the will of the people expressed in the 22nd general election, reform the administration, and do my best to stabilize the economy and people's livelihoods." On the same day, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo verbally tendered his resignation, and the Presidential Office announced that all senior secretaries and aides at the level of senior secretary or above, except for the National Security Office, submitted their resignations. This includes Chief Secretary Lee Gwan-seop, Policy Chief Seong Tae-yoon, Political Affairs Chief Han Oh-seop, Public Relations Chief Lee Do-woon, Economic Chief Park Chun-seop, Social Affairs Chief Jang Sang-yoon, and Science and Technology Chief Park Sang-wook.

Chief Secretary Lee stated during a briefing at the Yongsan Presidential Office that morning, "To heed the will of the people, we must reform the administration, and to reform the administration, we must reform personnel." This means that the senior aides of the Presidential Office will all resign to take responsibility for the ruling party's crushing defeat in the general election and initiate personnel reform.

Willingness to Cooperate and Communicate with the Opposition

The Presidential Office also expressed its intention to strengthen cooperation with the opposition party for future governance under the current situation of a ruling minority and opposition majority. A senior official of the Presidential Office explained in response to questions about the possibility of cooperation with the opposition, "President Yoon said he would take good care of people's livelihoods and the economy, and he intends to cooperate and communicate with the opposition going forward."

When asked, "How do President Yoon and the Presidential Office assess the causes of the general election results?" the official replied, "President Yoon believed from the start of the election that whatever the outcome, it would be the people's evaluation of his administration's performance so far," adding, "We will take time to reflect on the election results."

Lee Gwan-seop, Chief of Staff to the President, is giving a briefing on the 22nd general election on the morning of the 11th at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon's move to have all senior aides resign and mention cooperation with the opposition is interpreted as a strong determination to take responsibility for the election defeat and overcome difficulties through administrative reform. With three years remaining in his term, President Yoon is compelled to set a new direction. Some within the ruling party are concerned that if President Yoon does not reset his governance approach, an early power drain (lame duck) phenomenon could occur in the third year of his administration.

Although the People Power Party narrowly avoided the worst-case scenario of impeachment and constitutional amendment attempts by maintaining the 'constitutional amendment blockade line' of 100 seats, various special investigations and state audits such as the 'Kim Geon-hee Special Investigation Act' and the 'Lee Jong-seop Special Investigation Act' are being pushed forward, which could disrupt governance. While the presidential veto power remains possible, clashes over opposition-led legislation and presidential vetoes are expected to continue. The relationship between the party and government also urgently needs to be reestablished. As calls for accountability toward President Yoon grow within the People Power Party, his control over state affairs is bound to weaken further.

Professor Lee Hyun-woo of Sogang University's Department of Political Science and International Relations said, "The three major reforms in pensions, labor, and education are impossible without opposition cooperation, so future cooperation must be strengthened to overcome the political crisis," adding, "As the ruling party's control weakens and opposition to governance grows louder, the party-government relationship must also be reestablished."

"A Whip to Take Care of Economy and Livelihoods"

There is also an assessment that President Yoon must take a more proactive role in managing the economy and people's livelihoods going forward. Professor Lee Jun-han of Incheon National University's Department of Political Science and International Relations diagnosed, "This election strongly reflected a judgment on the administration," adding, "It reflected disappointment with the current government, with economic issues underlying it."

Professor Kim Jeong-sik, Professor Emeritus at Yonsei University, also said, "The election defeat was influenced by the economic downturn and the increased burden of prices and interest rates making life difficult," suggesting, "Governments that raise interest rates or taxes rarely gain public support, so policies to stimulate domestic demand by loosening fiscal spending and reducing interest burdens are necessary."

Professor Lee Pil-sang, Special Professor in the Department of Economics at Seoul National University, emphasized, "This election was a judgment by the people on unilateral governance," and stressed, "Politics is not only about attacking; both the ruling and opposition parties must cooperate so that the country moves in the right direction and the economy can be revived."

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