A reporter from the presidential office shouted fighting during the real-time public Q&A between President Yoon Seok-yeol and reporters. It was a scene that made the eyes and ears of the public as well as the reporters watching this scene suspicious.
After a vacation on the morning of the 8th, President Yoon met with reporters in the lobby on the first floor of the presidential office building in Yongsan, Seoul, and had a brief Q&A session on his way to work, the so-called door stepping time. It was a conversation with a reporter after 13 days. When asked about ‘Park Soon-ae’s voluntary resignation of Minister Park Soon-ae and his approval ratings are on the decline, what is your position on personnel renewal?’ President Yoon said, “I will review all issues from the people’s point of view and take a good look.” I will do it,” he replied. As soon as President Yoon’s words were finished, a strong shout came from the reporters, “Fighting the President.” Suddenly, President Yoon’s face turned red, and while pointing at the reporter with his hand, he replied, “Haha, thank you.” There was a pleasant atmosphere with laughter bursting around. President Yoon continued, “I have not seen you in a long time, and I would like to ask you to help me a lot because democratic politics and state management are things that cannot be done without working with our media. Thank you,” he said.
According to the media coverage today, the reporter who shouted “Fighting” is a reporter from Arirang TV. After reporter Moon shouted fighting, what he asked the president was about our government’s position on the Preliminary Chip 4 meeting and what was the president’s order. President Yoon left the office after telling him not to worry because he was looking at it from the point of view of the national interest. Immediately after that, another reporter asked, ‘Do you have any plans to explain the internal shooting texts?’ One of the factors that caused President Yoon’s approval rating to plummet to the 20% level is the serious internal redness in the passport, and many people see that the president and the party leader are at the center of it. Such a question became an interview that was actually ignored.
In addition, the issue of lowering the school age of former Minister Park Soon-ae, noise about the hiring process of the presidential office staff, and conflicts over the push to establish a new police station have also aggravated public sentiment. It was time to seriously and fiercely question how to solve the pile of problems and how to accept the criticism that the president himself is the cause of all problems. The people were waiting for such questions and answers to come out. However, it is pathetic that the reporter who shouted ‘Fighting the President’ or ‘Fighting the President’ has become a hot topic of the day, let alone such tension. The president is not the national player Heung-min Son, and the reporter is not the president’s cheerleader. On the 8th and 9th, media today reporters tried to hear their opinions and positions several times to this criticism, but reporter Moon did not answer.
It is not that this has never happened in the past. On January 6, 2014, while then-President Park Geun-hye finished her New Year’s press conference and came down to the Cheong Wa Dae Chunchugwan press room to greet her, MBN reporter Kim Eun-mi suddenly hugged her. Even at the time, she was criticized for saying that there should be a sense of distance between the president and reporters. When President Yoon was briefing himself on March 13, during the transition period of President Yoon Seok-yeol, it was revealed that a reporter asked a question after saying, ‘Is it really disrespectful?’
Even if it is not an urgent situation, a reporter must always maintain tension and keep a distance from those in power when covering all powerful people, including the president. Otherwise, it is easy to doubt what kind of relationship reporters who are in close proximity to those in power have a relationship with the public out of sight. Therefore, in Article 8 (Maintenance of Dignity) of the Journalists Association Charter of Korea, it is declared that “clearly separate public and private from reporters and maintain appropriate tensions”.
Moreover, in that the video of the president’s interview on his way to work is broadcast live across the country, the reporter’s question has as much value as the reporter’s action as much as the president’s answer. In the days of President Moon Jae-in, Kim Ye-ryeong, a reporter from then-Gyeonggi Broadcasting Station, was criticized for being rude after asking a provocative question, ‘Where does that confidence come from? However, in the eyes of the people, a question that makes the president uncomfortable and difficult is a hundred times better than a so-called flattering question that makes the president feel comfortable and pleasant to listen to. Journalism is an uncomfortable job with reporters, and you shouldn’t give up on it. The people want to know why when the powerful cannot function as public servants of the people, and whether they are making an effort. It goes without saying that a journalist is the one who criticizes, criticizes, and asks questions when something that cannot be done is repeated. I am very fortunate to be able to meet with the President every day and ask a question for just a few minutes. This is because every day there is a golden opportunity to realize the people’s right to know. Journalists should not waste this time in vain.