President Yoon Suk Yeol arrives at the Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Thursday, after completing his schedule for the 31st Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit and the 19th G20 Summit in South America. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol now faces a backlog of pressing domestic and foreign affairs issues, as he returned to Korea early Thursday after completing his first official tour of South America, according to political analysts.

As the midway point of his five-year term passed earlier this month, Yoon is widely expected to prioritize a reshuffle of key ministerial and presidential staff to revitalize his administration. Addressing national polarization is also anticipated to be a central policy goal during the second half of his term.

According to the presidential office, Yoon has been actively seeking suitable candidates for a midterm reshuffle. The timing of these changes is expected to follow the National Assembly's legal deadline for finalizing next year's budget on Dec. 2.

During a press conference on Nov. 7, Yoon emphasized that his office had already begun "searching for and vetting appropriate candidates," signaling a renewed approach through personnel changes at the right time.

The reshuffle is likely to target long-serving ministers, including those leading the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and Welfare, as well as key positions such as the prime minister.

Although replacing the prime minister — an appointment requiring parliamentary approval — poses a significant challenge, given the current political landscape in Korea where the opposition holds a majority at the parliament, it is said that the reshuffle of the premier is also being considered as a means to underscore the Yoon administration's strong commitment to government reform.

With regard to foreign affairs, the government is expected to focus on preparing for a first meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, while devising sector-specific strategies in light of Trump's upcoming second term.

Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Korean Peasants League stage protests as they call for the resignation of the Yoon Suk Yeol administration in central Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk

Meanwhile, the standoff with the opposition bloc is expected to intensify. Yoon must decide by the end of this month whether to reject the special counsel bill targeting first lady Kim Keon Hee, which had been passed solely by the opposition parties.

Given that Yoon firmly expressed his view that the bill was unconstitutional during the press conference earlier this month, he is expected to exercise his veto again. If the president exercises his veto this time, it will mark the third time he has vetoed the special counsel law on the first lady, following vetoes in January and October.

Eom Gyeong-yeong, director of the political think tank the Zeitgeist Institute, stated that the unexpected heavy sentence for main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) leader Lee Jae-myung and Trump's decisive victory have given Yoon an additional two to three months of leeway, until Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20.

"If the government does not show a new direction during this time period, things will become more difficult moving forward," Eom told The Korea Times, Thursday. "International politics and the economy will be highly chaotic for about a month after Trump's inauguration, and the absence of strong national leadership could be dangerous. Therefore, despite the ongoing debate over the special counsel, calls for impeachment or shortening President Yoon's term will likely weaken," he explained.

He added that the Yoon administration and the ruling People Power Party must be well-prepared during this period if they intend to successfully navigate the second half of the term.

"Ultimately, there must be a fundamental solution to the opposition's demands regarding the special prosecutor issue. If a resolution to the long-held issue is not found within the two to three months of leeway gained, the crisis will persist," Eom noted.

Park Sang-byoung, another political commentator, told The Korea Times that he thinks Yoon will never accept the first lady special counsel bill.

"The president will obviously not accept it. If the special prosecutor is recommended by the opposition bloc, the first lady issue will become a black hole, consuming at least five to six months of entire media and public attention. Thus, the government will be unable to operate at all," Park said.

The political expert also predicts that despite Yoon's efforts to fulfill his promised 4+1 reforms, he will struggle to gain momentum, while the opposition will continue to push hard.

"The momentum for new national reforms has already been exhausted. Given Yoon's style, he is unlikely to change his position or shift the national agenda. The opposition will relentlessly push for Yoon's resignation, impeachment, or any method they can until the end of his term," he said.

"If DPK leader Lee can secure the presidential candidate position in the end, things will stay as they are now. Even if Lee is eventually sidelined, other presidential candidates will pressure the Yoon administration just as strongly, cornering it," he added.

He advised the Yoon administration to put more priority on people's livelihoods and foreign affairs during the remainder of his term, considering the mounting household debt in the country, tax shortfalls and the potentially negative impact on exports from Trump's protectionist policies.