Presidential aide calls journalist's question about Yoon's apology 'rude'

A senior secretary to President Yoon Suk Yeol criticized a journalist's question, which had asked the president to elaborate on the specifics reasons for his public apology during a televised press conference, calling it "rude."

At a parliamentary session Tuesday, Hong Chul-ho, Yoon’s senior political secretary, made the criticism while trying to defend the president and the latter's 140-minute-long Q&A session with the media on Nov. 7.

“The president apologized, but this attitude of asking, ‘What did you do wrong?’— like a parent scolding a child — should be corrected,” Hong said.

Hong further noted that Yoon had already provided specific details in previous remarks.

The question was posed by a reporter from Busan Ilbo, a local daily based in Korea's second-most populous city of Busan, toward the end of the press conference.

Yoon, marking the halfway point of his five-year term amid a flurry of allegations involving him and his wife, first lady Kim Keon Hee, began the session with an apology, saying, “I don't think the president should be in the position to make excuses. It’s all my fault and my lack of virtue.”

However, as the session progressed, he defended his wife and himself against many of the allegations raised, including the first lady's alleged election meddling and interference in state affairs.

The Busan Ilbo reporter raised the question, “There are several requirements that must be met when making an apology. It must be clear about what part you are apologizing for. What specifically did you apologize for?”

The president responded, “It's difficult to say specifically. If I’ve done something wrong, please point it out and say, ‘Wasn’t this a mistake?’ I will apologize if those are facts. But there are many claims that differ from the truth. I cannot simply say, ‘Everything is true.’”

A video clip of this exchange has been widely viewed as a highlight of the press conference, with many praising the journalist for having asked this question.

Yoon has faced a steady decline in approval ratings, which recently had dropped below 20 percent — to 17 percent, a record low — halfway through his five-year term. However, a Realmeter survey released on Monday showed his approval rating had rebounded somewhat, to 23 percent, following the four-week decline.