Is it an unconventional surprise or a risk?

President Yoon Seok-youl’s communication on his way to work, also known as ‘door-stepping,’ is given a mixed reception. The favorable response is about the unprecedented direct encounter between the president and the press, promoting the level of public communication. However, there are concerns that the president should give more refined messages.

President Yoon has met the press eighteen times for forty-one days between his inauguration on May 10 and today (June 19). Except on days he did not come to the office or had plans elsewhere, he met and spoke to the press almost daily.

His answers were not mere formalities. On June 3, right after the local election, someone asked the president if he believed the local election had given him a driving force for state government. Yoon replied, “Our garden is now in a typhoon zone of many crises, including an economic one. The windows of our house are rattling, and the branches in our garden are swaying. Can’t you feel it?” The answer was favorably received as his intention to deal with the economic crisis as the first priority.

On June 8, amid criticisms against the government appointments skewed toward ex-prosecutors, he said, “Well, in the past, it was all about people from Minbyun (Lawyers for a Democratic Society), wasn’t it?” It was received as his straightforward statement to confront negative public opinions and the opposition’s offensive. On June 15, amid mounting controversies about his wife Kim Kun-hee, he commented, “This is my first time being a president. Tell me how to do it.” The reception was mixed—some criticized him for being irresponsible, and others saw it as frankness.

The voluntary ‘door-stepping’ by President Yoon was prepared before he took office. Since he boldly moved the office to “get away from the Royal Palace of Cheong Wa Dae,” it was believed that a change was necessary for his communication, too. The Office of the President announced “ten changes” created by Yoon on June 9, and the constant communication in the morning was one of them. It said, “He kept his promise to never hide behind the advising staff.”

The opposition keeps on criticizing the behavior. Rep. Youn Kun-young of the Democratic Party, who served as the state affairs secretary to former President Moon Jae-in, commented about Yoon’s door-stepping on a social network platform. “He could be digging his own grave. Too much means excess, and excess means potential accidents. Stable government is for the people, and he should redeem it immediately.” Former Director of the National Intelligence Service Park Ji-won had an interview with KBS radio on June 17, saying, “Yes, it’s something fresh, but there’s bound to be an accident. It might be better for him to have a monthly conference with the press.”

President Yoon also commented on June 7 about the rallies before Moon Jae-in’s home in Yangsan, Gyeongsangnam-do. He said, “Everything will be done under the law.” It made liberal activists organize a counter-protest in front of his private home in Seocho-gu. Disputedly, his statement led to the greater conflict surrounding the present and the former presidents.

Lee Sang-don, professor emeritus at Chung-Ang University, appeared on KBS radio on June 15 and gave some advice, comparing the current situation with the case of former U.S. President Donald Trump. People say Trump caused considerable confusion during his office with his characteristic Twitter presidency.

Even the government and the ruling party feel somewhat concerned about the situation. Suppose the president makes a decisive comment regarding the national administration. In that case, it will trap his staff inside his words, reducing the flexibility to take action in case circumstances change. There are criticisms from the ruling party that the president needs to send out more refined messages, even though the form of communication seems desirable. A high-level official at the Office of the President gave his opinion about the opposition’s criticisms in a phone conversation. “I understand those are well-meaning words, but they may be conscious of what they could not do in the previous government.”