Yoon braces for pending issues with new staff amid recovering approval

President Yoon Suk-yeol speaks during a luncheon with the ruling People Power Party's semiconductor committee members at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Wednesday. Yonhap

Meetings with China's No. 3 official, main opposition party chief await Yoon

By Nam Hyun-woo

President Yoon Suk-yeol recently wrapped up a major reorganization of the staff of the presidential office, with more than 50 secretaries and their deputies either quitting or being reassigned.

With his slimmer squad of staff, Yoon will take on a series of pending diplomatic and domestic tasks awaiting him, with the hope of maintaining the recovery momentum in his approval ratings.

Since mid-August, the presidential office has been undertaking a sweeping reorganization of Yoon's aides including making changes in the office's organization chart to optimize aides' roles.

Including the first and second secretaries for political affairs, a number of ranking officials were included in the drastic shakeup.

The reshuffle seemed to have finished as Kim Dae-ki, the presidential chief of staff, presided over an all-staff meeting at the presidential office on Tuesday, explaining the reason for the replacements as well as asking for the staff's renewed commitment to work.

This reorganization is anticipated to have contributed to the recent slight recovery in Yoon's support rate. A survey by Realmeter showed that Yoon's job approval rating inched up to 32.6 percent in the first week of September, up 0.3 percentage points from a week earlier. An official at the polling agency attributed it to Yoon's improved efforts to come up with measures to prevent severe damage from Typhoon Hinnamnor.

The poll surveyed 2,006 adults from Sept. 5 to 8 and further details are available at the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission's website.

Amid the more positive atmosphere, a number of pending diplomatic and domestic issues will test whether Yoon can maintain the uptrend and garner public trust on his administration.

On Thursday, Li Zhanshu, Standing Committee Chairman of China's National People's Congress, will visit Seoul to meet Korea's National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo on Friday. During his three-day stay here, Li, China's No. 3 official, will meet President Yoon, also on Friday, though the detailed schedule was not announced.

Li's visit comes as diplomatic pressure for Yoon, who has been stressing strengthening relations with countries that share values of liberal democracy and freedom, and has been taking clear steps toward the U.S. in the rivalry between Washington and Beijing.

More recently, the Yoon government is accelerating processes to normalize the operation of a U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, which is largely interpreted as a prelude to Yoon's election pledge of installing more THAAD batteries on the Korean soil.

Given that China has been opposing this move, chances are high that THAAD issue may be included in the talks between Yoon and Li.

After meeting Li, Yoon will depart for a weeklong trip to visit the U.K., the U.S. and Canada, to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly and have a summit with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

At the funeral, Yoon is anticipated to have conversations with international leaders, and deliver his first U.N. General Assembly speech to outline Korea's role in addressing challenges the world is facing.

Ruling People Power Party interim leader Chung Jin-suk, right, speaks with senior presidential secretary for political affairs Lee Jin-bok during their meeting at the former's office at the National Assembly, Seoul, Wednesday. Joint Press Corps

After the diplomatic events, Yoon is anticipated to have a meeting with chairmen and floor leaders of the political parties, which will likely include the ruling People Power Party (PPP) and the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK).

Lee Jin-bok, senior presidential secretary for political affairs told reporters Wednesday that the presidential office is "considering a meeting with party chairmen and floor leaders after President Yoon finishes his overseas trip."

"When our party (PPP) forms its interim leadership committee and the (minor opposition) Justice Party completes its interim leadership transition, a meeting between President Yoon, party chairmen and floor leaders can be discussed after Yoon finishes his overseas trip," Lee said during a meeting with PPP interim leader Chung Jin-suk.

The comment came after DPK Chairman Lee Jae-myung requested a meeting with Yoon five times, citing the necessity for cooperation for the sake of people's livelihoods.

Thawing the chilly relations with the DPK is also necessary for President Yoon, because the National Assembly will review the government's 2023 budget in the coming months, and Yoon has to explain the budget during an administrative policy speech to ask for cooperation from the DPK, which holds the majority in the Assembly.