Senior presidential secretary for public relations Choi Young-bum speaks during a press conference at the presidential office on July 17. The presidential office said Wednesday it appointed former YTN reporter Lee Ki-jeong as secretary for public relations planning. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

President seeks rebound in approval rating by enhancing PR strategy

By Nam Hyun-woo

Lee Ki-jeong

President Yoon Suk-yeol has tapped Lee Ki-jeong, a reporter and head of the digital news center at broadcaster YTN, as a presidential secretary for public relations planning, in an apparent bid to promote his policy agenda to revive his abysmal job approval ratings.

According to the presidential office, Wednesday, Yoon appointed Lee, 59, to the post, citing his experience covering politics and broadcasting production.

"Given those backgrounds, we expect Lee will upgrade our efforts in setting up Yoon's presidential identity and public relations plans," a presidential official said in a press briefing. "It took time for us to find the right people, and he will begin his work at the office tomorrow."

Lee will be one of the secretaries reporting to senior presidential secretary for public affairs Choi Young-bum, and will likely focus on planning the office's PR strategies as well as shaping Yoon's identity as president.

The post has been empty since Yoon took office on May 10. There had been speculation that the presidential office would appoint a performance producer for the post, but it selected Lee, who has been reporting for the broadcaster until very recently, in an apparent bid to bolster Yoon's public image.

Yoon has been suffering from faltering job approval ratings, with polls last week showing that positive sentiment toward his administration remains below 30 percent, which pundits here describe as "the lowest level for a president to maintain leverage on state affairs."

Though presidential aides remain cautious in defining the reasons for the low ratings, Yoon has been bleeding support due largely to minor controversies over his choice of secretaries and ministers, gossip surrounding the office and the first lady's private acquaintances working in the office.

As those controversies overshadow Yoon's efforts to revive the economy and address diplomatic conundrums, the approval ratings were mired in a downward spiral, even though Yoon has yet to roll out any big policies that can lead to significant changes.

Against that backdrop, Yoon stressed last month the necessity for "star ministers" who can promote government policies to the public, in an apparent bid to prevent minor controversies from overshadowing the government's policy efforts.

Lee's appointment, which came while Yoon was taking five days of vacation, is also interpreted as an effort to improve the presidential office's PR department's policy promotion and to resuscitate Yoon's approval ratings.

With Lee's appointment, 40 out of 41 presidential secretaries have been named. The secretary for religion and multicultural families post remains vacant after Kim Seong-hoe left the post on May 13 over a controversy regarding his use of hate speech against homosexuality.