President Lee Takes Direct Action After Confirmation Hearings...Seeking Foothold in Chuseok Table Talk

As the personnel confirmation hearings that were expected to continue until just before Chuseok move toward early conclusion, President Lee Jae-myung is taking direct action to address public sentiment regarding the Chuseok family table.

According to the Blue House on the 15th, President Lee will hold a press conference at the Blue House Yeongbingwan at 10 a.m. on the 18th. This comes six days before Chuseok holidays begin on the 24th.

The press conference draws attention for being held immediately after the personnel confirmation hearings from the August 30 cabinet reshuffle are essentially concluded.

Political circles initially expected the confirmation hearing process to continue until just before Chuseok. The People Power Party had requested that the confirmation hearing for Yong Hye-in, the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, be held on the 21st, one day before the March 22 deadline for personnel confirmation hearings.

However, when Nominee Yong voluntarily withdrew on the 13th, the "March 21 hearing" disappeared.

The remaining ministerial nominee hearings are concentrated over two days on the 15th and 16th. Following hearings on the 15th for Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance nominee Lee Hyung-il, and Small and Medium Venture Business Administration Minister nominee Lee So-young, hearings on the 16th will be held for Transport Minister nominee Hong Ji-seon and Defense Minister nominee Kang Shin-chul.

While the ruling and opposition parties are clashing over Nominee Kim, based on the scheduled timeline alone, the verification phase of the August 30 cabinet reshuffle comes to a close by the 16th.

And two days later, President Lee will take the microphone himself.

The ruling bloc, having secured "time before Chuseok" through Nominee Yong's withdrawal, is filling it with presidential communication with the public.

The Blue House has also put public sentiment and livelihood issues front and center for this press conference.

Sung Ki-hong, Presidential Spokesperson for Public Communication, stated, "It will be an occasion to respond to the public sentiment that created a people-sovereign government by conveying the President's firm commitment to reform, the government's top priority of national livelihood, and a message of stronger national unity."

He continued, "The President will clarify and explain our clear position and direction on major pending issues to the public, and journalists can freely ask questions on major pending issues without being constrained to specific topics, with the President directly answering."

About 150 domestic and foreign journalists will attend the press conference, which will be divided into two areas—politics and diplomacy, and policy and economy—and conducted for approximately 90 minutes. Seating arrangements between the President and journalists will also be placed as close as possible, and citizen comments will also be introduced.

The conference is expected to focus questions on livelihood and economic issues such as real estate and diplomatic and security issues such as the deployment of troops to the Strait of Hormuz.

Recent declining government approval ratings are also cited as a political backdrop for this press conference.

The government is also accelerating its Chuseok livelihood response measures. Following the announcement of Chuseok livelihood stabilization measures on the 1st, the government launched on-site inspections by relevant departments from the 14th to the 22nd targeting traditional markets and tourist destinations for price and unfair practice checks.

Before Nominee Yong's withdrawal, there was a strong possibility that the result of the March 21 hearing would directly become part of Chuseok table talk, but with the hearing schedule essentially ending on the 16th, the President's press conference on the 18th has emerged as a major political event just before Chuseok.

If the opposition party attempts to drag out personnel disputes involving Nominee Kim and others until Chuseok, the ruling bloc must have the President step forward directly to shift public attention to other state affairs such as livelihood, economy, and reform.

During the recent Democratic Party national convention, President Lee brought forth his own message when internal party debate heated up YouTube and political circles, seizing control of the political narrative. This time, he will sit face-to-face with journalists for 90 minutes just six days before Chuseok.

The March 18 press conference is expected to be a watershed moment determining whether personnel disputes or livelihood messages will dominate Chuseok public sentiment.

A political circles insider said, "Chuseok is a time when family and relatives gather to discuss political and economic issues, forming what is known as 'table talk' public sentiment, so the President is seen as stepping forward to directly explain major pending issues and stimulate public opinion. It remains to be seen whether President Lee, who seized the 'microphone' of internal party disputes during the national convention, will this time be able to monopolize the 'side dishes' of the Chuseok table as well."