President Lee’s Choice of a Press Conference in Crisis—Will His Approval Rebound?

Seventh Press Conference Since Inauguration Set for the 18th
102 Days Since the First-Anniversary Briefing... An Unusual Decision
Direct Answers on Controversies Over Constitutional Amendments, Prosecution Reform, Personnel, and Real Estate

President Lee Jae-myung has chosen a "press conference" as his strategy to reverse the lowest approval ratings of his administration since taking office. Rather than a routine conference aligned with scheduled political events, he opted to answer questions from journalists directly on the accumulated pending issues and controversies. This move is interpreted as an attempt to address the public's questions about state governance in the president's own words, and to break the downward trend in approval ratings before public sentiment for Chuseok solidifies.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Chief Presidential Secretary meeting held at the Blue House on September 11, 2026. Photo by Yonhap News

According to the Blue House on September 16, President Lee will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. on September 18 at the Blue House State Guest House. This will be the official seventh press conference since taking office and comes 102 days after his last press conference on the first anniversary of his inauguration on June 8. About 150 domestic and foreign journalists are expected to attend. The session will last about 90 minutes in total, consisting of the president's opening remarks, a Q&A session, and concluding remarks. Given that the last press conference lasted two to three hours, the actual duration could be longer.

The format of this press conference also differs from previous ones. Past conferences were held at key milestones such as 30 days, 100 days, New Year’s Day, or the first anniversary of his presidency. This time, there is no special slogan; instead, the background message will read, “We will listen more closely to the will and lives of the people.” An official at the Blue House explained, “It has been organized to allow the opportunity to ask and resolve many of the current questions.” It is expected to become a place for the president to clarify his positions and offer explanations on various issues.

Order of Questions: 'Politics and Society' Issues First... President to Respond Directly to Accumulated Controversies

The focus of the questions will also change. Unlike past conferences that highlighted economic, daily-life, and diplomatic achievements, this time political and social issues will take precedence. This is based on the judgment that a significant portion of the controversies surrounding President Lee stem from domestic political matters.

The most attention is on constitutional amendment. Ever since President Lee raised the need for restructuring the power structure, continuing controversy has erupted in the political sphere over constitutional revisions for re-election and the length of the president’s own term. At a meeting with Koreans in France on September 9, President Lee reiterated that “my term is clearly limited by the Constitution,” but questions remain about the timing, methods, and whether changes will be applied to the next presidential election.

Personnel appointments are also unavoidable questions. The withdrawal of Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hyein further damaged the formation of the second-term cabinet, and controversy continues over Justice Minister nominee Kim Seungwon. Other issues President Lee is expected to address directly include rising housing prices and the consistency of real estate policy, the pace and methods of prosecutorial reform, and internal discord within the ruling party. The range of questions will be broader than ever, encompassing diplomacy, security, and trade issues, such as the deployment to the Strait of Hormuz and U.S.-related investment projects.

Yonhap News

Will the Downward Trend in Approval Halt? The Last Chance to Sway Public Opinion Before Chuseok

The goal is to rebound in approval ratings. The Blue House has not tried to deny the connection between approval ratings and the press conference. A Blue House official stated, “The president and the Blue House take the public’s assessments and perspectives embedded in the approval ratings very seriously and with great responsibility.”

According to a survey by Gallup Korea conducted from September 8 to 10, President Lee’s positive job performance rating dropped to a post-inauguration low of 38%. The main reason for negative assessment was real estate policy at 24%, followed by personnel issues at 16%. In particular, support in Seoul fell by 9 percentage points within a week to 29%, and in the traditional stronghold of Gwangju and Jeolla, it dropped by 7 percentage points. Support among those in their 40s also declined by 10 percentage points. The decline was even steeper in the Realmeter poll, with 33.8% positive approval in the survey from the 7th to the 11th, marking a ninth consecutive weekly drop. The downward trend, which began in earnest around the local elections on June 3, has continued for more than three months. (For more detailed information, please refer to the website of the National Election Commission.)

The decision to hold the press conference on September 18 is also politically meaningful. It comes immediately after completing major diplomatic schedules, including the first Korea-Central Asia summit on the 16th, and five days before the Chuseok holiday begins on the 23rd. The holiday period is when families and relatives gather to discuss political and economic issues, intensifying public sentiment. It appears the president judged it better to explain matters directly to the public rather than allowing unresolved controversies to become the main topic of discussion at holiday gatherings. A senior Blue House official said, “There was a determination after careful consideration that there are limits to what advisers can do, so the format of a press conference was chosen.”

For President Lee, press conferences have been a political stage where he has demonstrated his strengths. Instead of reading a prepared script, he has been known for holding long, impromptu Q&A sessions with journalists to explain pending issues in detail—an approach that has established the image of a “communicative president.” Once again, the Blue House plans not to coordinate questions in advance, but to accept them freely.

However, the threshold for this press conference is higher than before. If accumulated distrust in real estate, personnel issues, and the way the administration itself is being managed has led to the current situation, it will be difficult to change the trend with repeated explanations alone. Whether the president will stick to previous explanations for difficult questions on constitutional amendment, personnel, and real estate, or acknowledge faults and signal a change in governance, will be crucial to a rebound in support.

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