President Yoon Suk Yeol receives questions from reporters at the presidential office in Seoul, Aug. 29. Korea Times file

Anticipation is mounting over whether President Yoon Suk Yeol will issue a public apology concerning recent controversies involving himself and first lady Kim Keon Hee during Thursday's press conference, according to political pundits on Tuesday. However, the substance of his message is deemed even more crucial, as it may significantly influence the fate of his presidency, they said.

While it remains uncertain whether Yoon will directly issue an apology concerning recent controversies, it is widely expected that the president will engage with reporters candidly and openly, without limiting the scope or content of their questions.

The president is expected to address inquiries on sensitive issues, including the alleged involvement of himself and the first lady with Myung Tae-kyun, a self-proclaimed political consultant, during the ruling conservative party's candidate selection process ahead of the 2022 by-election.

Through this public address, Yoon is also expected to unveil policy directions for the second half of his term, including plans for his administration's four key reform areas.

President Yoon Suk Yeol delivers an opening address during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, Aug. 29. Courtesy of the presidential office

Late Monday, the presidential office announced that the president is scheduled to hold a press conference on Thursday. It is relatively rare for the office to make such an announcement at that hour. The unexpected timing of the announcement is believed to be influenced by calls for change from within the ruling People Power Party (PPP).

People Power Party leader Han Dong-hoon attends a meeting at the ruling party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Not only did the party's chair, Han Dong-hoon, urge the president to implement actions for change and reform, but the ruling conservative party's floor leader, Choo Kyung-ho, also visited the presidential office on Monday. He suggested that "it would be beneficial for the president to have an opportunity for direct communication with the public."

"There were initial discussions about holding the press conference near the end of November, but I suggested that an earlier timing — ideally before any upcoming foreign trips by the president — could improve public understanding of state affairs. I believe the presidential aides made similar recommendations as well," Choo told reporters at the National Assembly, Tuesday.

Han, the PPP leader also commented earlier in the day about the planned press conference, saying, "I hope the president's address (on Thursday) would meet the expectations of the public and it must do so."

However, Han later told reporters that he was unaware that the party's floor leader requested the presidential office to hold the press conference sooner, indicating that tensions between the two remain still unresolved.

Democratic Party of Korea's floor leader Park Chan-dae speaks during an event at the National Assembly in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

Main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) floor leader Park Chan-dae continued to criticize the president, calling him "the worst president who is unable to communicate."

"President Yoon missed both the National Assembly's opening ceremony and the parliamentary address to seek cooperation on next year's budget. He is the worst president, unable to communicate, who's unfit for a democratic republic," Park said Tuesday.

The opposition party's floor leader added that the measures suggested by the PPP leader, including public apology and cabinet reshuffle, won't be enough.

"Any measures that do not include a special investigation into first lady Kim will be woefully inadequate to quell the public's anger," Park emphasized, urging for the presidential office to accept a special investigation.

Necessary step

Political analysts say that the presidential office's decision to hold a press conference on Thursday is a positive move, but they stress that the content of the message in the upcoming event will be crucial.

"I think deciding to hold the press conference is what is necessary and a commendable step to take at this moment. However, the content of it will be critical. If the president's message relies strictly on legal considerations based on his legal expertise, which tends to judge things in black and white — merely stating whether his or the first lady's actions are legally problematic or not — then it may not be necessary," Kim Byoung-joo, affiliate professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, told The Korea Times, Tuesday.

"Instead, if the president can deliver contents that can directly embrace public's requests in the appropriate political context, while touching their emotions, it would be beneficial in reshaping public opinion. Given the current situation, however, it won't be easy to reach out and connect that way," Kim said.

The professor went on to emphasize that the position of the president requires managing both policy and politics, pointing out that if he cannot effectively manage the political side, it can undermine the recognition of the policies pursued or achieved by the administration.

Shin Yul, another pundit and political science professor at Myongji University, told The Korea Times that "the president's apology needs to be sincere; otherwise, it may provoke an even greater backlash."

He went on to stress that it is also essential to clearly halt the first lady's future activities.

"Public concerns center around her influence on political decisions. Therefore, if the presidential office were to announce the official launch of the first lady's office during Thursday's press conference, citing the need for increased transparency, it would not be acceptable and could provoke serious backlash. This is because such an office would presuppose her activities, and the public rightly questions why someone who is unelected should wield influence over political matters," Shin emphasized.

The professor added that it may be advisable for the president to instruct the justice minsiter to establish a special prosecutor's office regarding Myung Tae-kyun.

Meanwhile, Sung Tae-yoon, the director of national policy, held a briefing at the presidential office in the afternoon, highlighting the Yoon administration's achievements, including South Korea's projections for record-high annual exports in this year and the $97.1 billion in monetary contracts generated across various sectors from the president's state visits to other countries.