Lee to face press as approval ratings sink into 30 percent range

President Lee Jae Myung will face the press on Friday in an attempt to tackle a series of controversies head-on as his approval ratings sink further into the 30 percent range.

The president will face questions over his controversial Cabinet picks, the issue of dropping criminal charges against him and his views on possible constitutional revision that could allow presidents to serve consecutive terms. The 90-minute press conference at the Blue House will be his seventh since taking office.

Seong Ghi-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, announced the press conference on Tuesday and said Lee would “clearly lay out and explain his position and direction on major issues.”

“The president wants to communicate candidly and thoroughly on the issues that people are curious about and want to hear about,” Seong said. “The seats will be arranged to bring the president and reporters as close together as possible, and we also plan to introduce comments from the public in real time.”

The press conference will last about 90 minutes, with some 150 Korean and foreign journalists expected to attend.

Lee has previously held press conferences to mark milestones including his 30th day in office on July 3 last year, his 100th day on Sept. 11 last year, the first anniversary of martial law declaration on last Dec. 3, the new year on Jan. 21 and his first anniversary in office on June 8.

“We decided to hold the press conference to give people an opportunity to ask about the things they are curious about and get answers,” a senior official at the Blue House said.

The backdrop at the speech venue will carry the slogan, “The people’s will, the people’s lives — we will listen more closely.”

The message is intended to reaffirm that the people are at the center of state affairs and that the ultimate test of government policy is how it affects people’s everyday lives, according to the Blue House.

The press conference comes as Lee’s approval ratings have fallen sharply as of late.

Lee’s approval rating fell for a fourth consecutive week, from 45 percent to 42 percent, 40 percent and now 38 percent, according to a Gallup Korea telephone survey conducted from Sept. 8 to 10. 

His approval rating was 33.8 percent in a Realmeter automated telephone survey conducted from Sept. 7 to last Friday, marking its ninth straight weekly decline. 

Warnings are now emerging even from within the ruling bloc.

“If the rating keeps tanking this way and falls below 30 percent, the administration itself could begin to lose momentum,” an unnamed lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party (DP) in the Seoul metropolitan area said.

Against that backdrop, Lee has decided to personally address the controversies surrounding his administration.

Questions at the press conference are expected to focus on three major issues: his Cabinet appointments, issues about dropping criminal charges against Lee and a possible constitutional revision that would allow presidents to serve consecutive terms. 

Lee is expected to address the controversy surrounding Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won, after Basic Income Party Rep. Yong Hye-in withdrew as nominee for minister of gender equality and family. Lee is also likely to face questions about why the two were nominated and criticism of the Blue House’s vetting process.

“The [ministerial] appointments were supposed to provide an opportunity to lift his approval ratings, but instead they accelerated the decline,” a DP lawmaker said. “The president needs to explain the situation himself in some form.”

The controversy over dropping criminal charges has intensified since Lee nominated Kim, who previously served as a co-head of a group that advocated for charges against the president to be dropped.

Main opposition People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig raised the issue again at a party meeting on Tuesday. Jeong questioned whether Kim would comply if Lee sought to have the charges dropped.

The debate over a constitutional revision that would allow presidents to serve consecutive terms is also expected to come up.

At a meeting with civic groups on Sept. 4, Lee said there was little reason for him to explicitly pledge not to seek another term, comparing such a demand to asking someone to promise not to steal.

“My term is clearly limited under the Constitution,” the president said during a meeting with Korean residents in France on Sept. 9.

But Lee has yet to publicly rule out seeking another term under a revised Constitution, as the opposition has demanded.

“The decision to hold a press conference rather than deliver an address to the nation or sit for an interview suggests the president intends to directly answer questions raised by the opposition,” a ruling bloc source said. “Whatever happens, this press conference will be a turning point in the political landscape.”

BY OH HYUN-SEOK [lee.jiwon10@joongang.co.kr]