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Seeking wider reach, presidential office debuts fresh format at press conference
Business cards from reporters are placed inside the drawing box used to select questioners during President Lee Jae Myung’s press conference at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
By Park Ung
President Lee Jae Myung’s first press conference featured a set of new formats designed to foster broader and more inclusive engagement with the press.
Departing from the more tightly managed conferences of his predecessors, Lee took questions from journalists as selected through a random draw, reflecting the more direct and open approach he has maintained since his election.
Last month, during a visit to South Jeolla Province for a public forum on regional issues, Lee held open discussions with the mayor of Gwangju, the provincial governor, county administrators and local residents. Around the same time, he also joined members of the press corps for an informal session in the presidential office cafeteria in Yongsan during the lunch hour.
At Thursday’s press conference, the traditional presidential podium was removed, bringing Lee within just 1.5 meters of the press. Chairs were arranged in a semicircle, evoking a town hall-style format intended to create a more open and conversational setting.
Questioners were selected through a random draw, using a business card lottery system. This signaled a shift from past presidential press conferences, where the presidential office and press corps often coordinated in advance on who would ask questions and what topics would be covered.
Commenting on the new format, Lee joked, “It felt like a housing lottery.” One selected reporter quipped, “I usually don’t have much luck, but maybe all that bad luck was just saving up for today.”
Regional media outlets not registered with the presidential press corps also participated in the press conference. Journalists from local publications such as Okcheon News in North Chungcheong Province and Seogwipo News in Jeju joined remotely via video call to ask their questions.
Yang Soo-cheol, a reporter from Okcheon News, thanked the presidential office for including regional journalists and said he hopes more opportunities like this will follow to help address the imbalance between the Seoul metropolitan area and the rest of the country.