Yoon resumes public outreach upon rising approval rating

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 04:48

Politics

Yoon resumes public outreach upon rising approval rating

Posted : 2023-05-30 16:22

Updated : 2023-05-31 10:23

President Yoon Suk Yeol speaks at a summit between Korea and Pacific Island nations at Yeongbingwan guesthouse in Jongno District, Seoul, Monday. Courtesy of presidential office

By Nam Hyun-woo

Buoyed by recent approval ratings, President Yoon Suk Yeol is set to resume his public outreach efforts, with a plan of holding a press conference in the near future.

According to the presidential office, it is considering holding an official press conference as early as this week. Officials say the date is yet to be fixed, but chances are high that Yoon will stand at a podium very soon and take questions from reporters covering his office.

Other than joint press conferences after summits with foreign leaders, it will be Yoon's first official press conference since August 2022 when he reviewed his first 100 days in office.

Since November last year, Yoon has engaged with journalists in a selective manner, after he halted impromptu Q&A sessions during his office commutes on Nov. 20 following disputes with a major terrestrial broadcaster here.

On the occasion of the first anniversary of his presidency, May 10, Yoon unexpectedly visited the press room of the presidential office. Although the president exchanged greetings with reporters at the time, he did not take questions on pending state affairs.

On May 2, he also had an unscheduled luncheon with reporters and made comments on the desired role for China in dealing with North Korea's nuclear threats. But that was also an off-the-record situation.

Yoon is resuming public outreach amid recent improvements in his approval ratings.

According to a weekly poll by Realmeter released on Monday, 40 percent of respondents said that Yoon is putting the country on the right track, up 1 percentage point from a week earlier. The poll surveyed 2,504 adults from May 22 to 26. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission website.

It was the first time in five weeks that Yoon's approval ratings have risen.

Bae Cheol-ho, a senior analyst at Realmeter, said the rise is attributable to Yoon's recent moves related to diplomacy and security, including his summits with leaders of the Group of Seven countries and fence-mending efforts with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio.

"If the diplomacy and security issues are providing momentum for Yoon to unite his supporters, he now needs to grasp issues related to the economy and the people's livelihoods and seek political cohesion and public communication in order to exploit the momentum," Bae said.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee speak during an interview in an episode of broadcaster SBS' "TV Animal Farm," which was televised on Sunday. Courtesy of SBS

If the press conference takes place, Yoon is expected to showcase his initiatives for the second year of his presidency, especially related to the domestic economy. He may also explain his limits in pursuing reform agendas given the context of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea holding a majority in the National Assembly.

Against this backdrop, Yoon and his wife Kim Keon-hee's recent appearance on a popular TV show about pets helped to improve public sentiment toward him.

On Sunday, Yoon and Kim appeared on an episode of broadcaster SBS' "TV Animal Farm," spending time with six dogs at the presidential residence, which is an off-limits area. During the show, Kim revealed the personal reasons why they have decided to raise dogs and promote dog adoption to the public.

namhw@koreatimes.co.kr