Anna Jiwon Park has been covering the politics at The Korea Times since the summer of 2024, when she joined the press pool for the Office of the President in Korea. Prior to that, she spent about five years reporting extensively on financial markets, regulatory authorities and the financial industry. She joined The Korea Times in 2019 after spending eight years as a broadcast journalist at Arirang TV, Korea’s leading global broadcaster, covering politics, defense and culture.
Presidential office introduces sign language interpretation for press briefings
Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung, top right, speaks during a press briefing at the presidential office in Seoul, Saturday. Yonhap
By Anna J. Park
In a step toward greater inclusivity, the presidential office has begun offering sign language interpretation for its press briefings, starting Monday.
The initiative was first launched during the joint press conference between President Lee Jae Myung and To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
This is the first time in Korea’s history that a presidential administration has provided regular sign language interpretation for official briefings.
The office explained that this decision is aimed at reducing barriers for people with hearing and speech disabilities, ensuring their participation in national affairs and enhancing accessibility to critical information. The move is also part of efforts to promote social integration and increase transparency in governance.
In this screenshot of a press briefing at the presidential office on KTV, the sign language interpreter is visible inside a blue circle in the bottom right corner of the screen. Screenshot from KTV
“We are committed to creating a society where no citizen, including those who use sign language as their primary language, is excluded or faces inconvenience,” the presidential office stated.
The office further emphasized plans to expand the interpretation service gradually to include major national events in the future.