[Beyond the Scene] Unasked Questions for President Lee

A 99-minute press conference conducted without smiles or jokes. On September 18, President Lee Jaemyung continued standing from his opening statement through his final answer at the Cheong Wa Dae State Guest House. He repeatedly stated, "The people are always right," and "It is all due to my shortcomings." On this day alone, he used the word "shortcomings" 13 times. Facing an approval rating that has fallen to its lowest level since taking office, the President clarified his stances on constitutional amendments for consecutive terms, dismissal of indictments, and the controversy surrounding the Hormuz deployment, placing particular emphasis on "self-reflection" as the nation’s top leader.

It may be premature to discuss the overall results of the press conference, but at the very least, it is clear that some uncertainties around contentious issues such as re-election have been reduced. If there is a point of regret, it is that unlike press conferences marking specific occasions such as the first anniversary of his inauguration, the range of questions and answers this time was limited. As a result, a number of the roughly 30 pre-prepared questions were left unasked either due to a lack of opportunity or because there were no follow-up questions to probe the core of certain issues. I would like to record some of these questions here.

First, thoughts on national unity. In his opening remarks, President Lee described the Democratic and progressive camps as “Those who support Moon, Roh, and Kim Dae-jung, and are comrades of Lee Jaemyung,” while also pledging to reflect “the rational opinions of the majority of citizens” in state affairs. However, we did not hear his thoughts on a possible merger with the Rebuilding Korea Party or whether his vision for a “structural majority” extending to the political center still holds. It was unclear whether he plans to rebuild relationships with his core base before broadening his appeal or if he intends to do both simultaneously, and how he would approach this.

Second, the predictability of government policy. The administration has repeatedly relaxed its initial proposals, such as deferring residence requirements for non-resident homeowners and easing capital gains tax for multiple homeowners. Reversals or confusion during the course of reform are different from flexibility. I wanted to know what triggered these sudden policy changes. The same goes for the structure of the proposed public prosecution office related to prosecutorial reform. After the Ministry of Justice presented a plan to establish a "Judicial Oversight Department" and maintain existing prosecutor staffing, President Lee, immediately upon returning from his trip to France, ordered revisions and improvements. If a plan was produced that failed to reflect the President’s own thinking right before its launch, I wanted to know what had been happening up until then.

Furthermore, the conflict between trade and security. Regarding negotiations on investment with the United States, President Lee consistently emphasized “national interest” and “commercial rationality.” However, issues such as nuclear-powered submarines, uranium enrichment, and spent fuel reprocessing make the situation far more complex. I wanted to ask whether the administration is strictly negotiating bilateral investment and security issues separately as planned, or, if not, to what extent each is encroaching on the other’s bargaining space under U.S. pressure. I was also keen to hear what the President considers to be his own red lines.

Since President Lee himself admitted, “I was not thorough enough in the process,” and asked, “Please do not doubt the sincerity of reform,” it seems I will have no choice but to keep watch for now to see if the questions that went unanswered this time will eventually be addressed. Only when some clarity emerges will we be able to more fully evaluate the genuineness of President Lee and the outcomes of this press conference.

Yonhap News Agency

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