Criticism of the Press Conference Format… "It's Not a Structure That Draws Out Good Questions"

Tack Hyun-min, the event planning advisor to the National Assembly Speaker, evaluated President Lee Jae-myung's press conference held 30 days after his inauguration, stating, "The president was prepared, but the format did not support him well."

Tack, who previously served as the protocol secretary at the Blue House during the Moon Jae-in administration, made these remarks on the JTBC YouTube live show 'Genre-Man Yeouido' on the 3rd.

Tack pointed out, "I used to wonder if the press conference format is still valid. To elicit good questions, one must select reporters who ask good questions, but then it leads to issues of fairness as specific reporters get singled out."

"Previously, it was Preset Questioning… Transitioned to On-the-Spot Questions During the Moon Administration"

He stated, "In the past, there was a form of 'preset questioning' between the president and reporters. It was a format where questions and answers were exchanged in advance, which was essentially a form of deceit towards the public." He added, "During the Moon Jae-in administration, reporters were encouraged not to submit questions in advance but to ask questions on the spot.

When the spokesperson selected the questioning reporter, suspicions arose that it was being rigged, leading to the president directly choosing the questioners."

Tack mentioned the American example, saying, "White House reporters have spent almost half their lives covering policy, and they have a deep understanding of the president. They ask very pointed questions," and continued, "In our country, because we place great importance on horizontal equality, giving everyone an opportunity has become more important than asking good questions."

"This President Had a Lot to Say, but the Format Got in the Way"

He relayed, "President Moon Jae-in also said, 'I’ve stayed up for several nights, but the questions are always the same,'" and regarding the recent conference, "The president seemed to have a lot he wanted to say, but the format did not support him. If there is insufficient thought, it ends up like today. I think he must feel incredibly frustrated reflecting on it."

President Lee Jae-myung held his first press conference at the Blue House guesthouse on the 3rd, marking 30 days since his inauguration. The conference lasted 121 minutes, and questioners were selected by random draw on site.

The selected reporter from the press corps drew business cards from a box containing topics such as 'livelihood and economy,' 'politics and diplomacy/security,' and 'socio-culture.'

President Lee stated, "It seems that some people handed me several business cards like a swarm of bees because of the random draw. I appreciate the interest," and joked, "It should feel like winning the lottery," and "Shouldn’t there at least be a prize if you get picked?"

The presidential office explained that this method was intended to move away from the 'preset questioning' format used previously.

Image Credits: President Lee Jae-myung / News1, Tack Hyun-min / YouTube 'Genre-Man Yeouido', News1