By Kim Rahn
Journalists covering the presidential office used to be required to coordinate their questions for former presidents with Cheong Wa Dae officials before any press conferences took place.
Former President Park Geun-hye was especially notorious for rarely holding media conferences and not taking questions without first arranging who would ask what.
This time, journalists may be able to ask questions of President Moon Jae-in freely without any preplanning, as he promised to allow it for a conference due today marking the 100th day since his inauguration.
This will be his first press conference after being sworn in on May 10, and will be aired live for an hour starting at 11 a.m.
About 300 reporters from local and foreign media will participate. They did not send their questions to Cheong Wa Dae officials in advance but will ask questions freely.
Moon is expected to face questions about security and diplomacy including the current tension on the Korean Peninsula arising from North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, political issues such as cooperation with opposition parties, and other various social issues including his policies on curbing rising housing prices, shutting down nuclear reactors and expanding health insurance coverage.
It has been customary for presidents to hold a press conference to mark their 100th day in office ― Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak did.
Park, however, did not do so, and Cheong Wa Dae said at that time it was because she did not like political events and the government reorganization had not been fully settled yet.
She held conferences only at the New Year. She had a rare question-and-answer session in January last year, but Cheong Wa Dae collected questions from journalists in advance and scripted her answers.
Journalists covering the presidential office used to be required to coordinate their questions for former presidents with Cheong Wa Dae officials before any press conferences took place.
Former President Park Geun-hye was especially notorious for rarely holding media conferences and not taking questions without first arranging who would ask what.
This time, journalists may be able to ask questions of President Moon Jae-in freely without any preplanning, as he promised to allow it for a conference due today marking the 100th day since his inauguration.
This will be his first press conference after being sworn in on May 10, and will be aired live for an hour starting at 11 a.m.
About 300 reporters from local and foreign media will participate. They did not send their questions to Cheong Wa Dae officials in advance but will ask questions freely.
Moon is expected to face questions about security and diplomacy including the current tension on the Korean Peninsula arising from North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, political issues such as cooperation with opposition parties, and other various social issues including his policies on curbing rising housing prices, shutting down nuclear reactors and expanding health insurance coverage.
It has been customary for presidents to hold a press conference to mark their 100th day in office ― Kim Young-sam, Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun and Lee Myung-bak did.
Park, however, did not do so, and Cheong Wa Dae said at that time it was because she did not like political events and the government reorganization had not been fully settled yet.
She held conferences only at the New Year. She had a rare question-and-answer session in January last year, but Cheong Wa Dae collected questions from journalists in advance and scripted her answers.
