President Lee Calls for Shift in Government Communication Strategy

President Lee Jae-myung has urged a departure from the traditional method of government communication that merely lists achievements, calling for a shift towards real-time engagement with the public. The Blue House is also considering the introduction of 'interactive briefings' where both questioning journalists and responding government officials are made public, tailored to the needs of each department.

According to the Blue House on October 20, during a closed Cabinet meeting, President Lee instructed Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Choi Hwi-young to transition government achievement communication to a more impactful and contemporary method.

“There are too many government achievements to list them all like a department store,” President Lee said, emphasizing the need for selective focus. He added that improving government communication is crucial for persuading the public and securing support.

The government is exploring ways to expand the interactive briefing format currently used by the Blue House to other departments. This approach would not only feature government officials speaking but also include the questioning journalists and the entire Q&A process, making it accessible to the public.

Seong Gi-hong, the Blue House Chief of Public Communication, stated during an appearance on SBS's 'Joo Young-jin's News Briefing' that “the fundamental philosophy of a government of the people is transparency, accountability, and openness in policy.” He noted that each department is expected to align with this principle.

However, he clarified that the Blue House has not mandated a uniform implementation of interactive briefings across all departments. Seong mentioned that each department would autonomously develop systems suited to their circumstances, and local governments are also moving towards live broadcasting of briefings.

Seong emphasized that the core of interactive briefings is the public nature of the Q&A structure. “The center of all dialogue should be the public,” he said, advocating for a system where journalists ask questions on behalf of the public, and government officials respond responsibly.

He further noted that the interaction between journalists and officials should not occur in isolated and closed settings but should be more publicly accessible. He pointed out that similar briefing formats are already in place at the White House, as well as the State Department and the Department of Defense, where both questioners and responders are publicly visible.

Addressing concerns that revealing the faces of questioning journalists could lead to intimidation or online harassment, Seong stated, “Just because a journalist's face is shown during a presidential press conference does not mean they will feel intimidated or hesitant to ask questions.”