'The government is doing something wrong, and the public keeps sending that signal … The president said, "Let's get our act together"'

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook answers questions at a luncheon with the press corps at her official residence in Sejong on Wednesday, a day before the 100th day of her tenure. [Yonhap]
Prime Minister Han Seong-sook answers questions at a luncheon with the press corps at her official residence in Sejong on Wednesday, a day before the 100th day of her tenure. [Yonhap]

Prime Minister Han Seong-sook said Wednesday that the government's sliding approval ratings amount to "a message from the people."

Han made the remarks at a luncheon with the press corps at her official residence in Sejong, held a day before the 100th day of her tenure, when asked about her view on the downward trend in public support.

"A lawmaker told me recently that approval was around 60 percent when I was appointed but had fallen to the mid-30s afterward — that hit me hard," Han said. "I told them I feel a deep sense of responsibility, and the weight of it is real." She added that the drop was a clear signal from the public. "The government is doing something wrong, and the people keep sending that signal — there are many voices saying they want to see it fixed," she said.

Han also said the pressure was felt at her weekly meetings with the president. "The president said, 'We need to keep our heads straight,'" she recounted, adding that she has been reviewing priorities one by one.

Even so, Han said she does not believe approval ratings can be quickly reversed by any single measure. "Rather, we need to focus on livelihood-related projects, do them well, and make the results visible — that is what will bring the numbers up," she said.

The following is an edited transcript of the question-and-answer session with Han.

— What are your reflections on the first 100 days, and what stands out most?

▶ Far more incidents and major events have occurred than I could have imagined. I have come to understand that a prime minister is involved in everything — and equally, that a prime minister must not try to control everything.

The visit to Geoje after the heavy rains stands out. There were many volunteers on the ground, and the disaster safety manuals were working well. It reinforced my belief that having solid systems in place is the key to reducing damage.

— What is the main bottleneck in housing supply, and what do you plan to address first?

▶ On the permitting side, the government can act directly. We have said we will cut the process from 68 months down to 37. Part of that involves running steps in parallel rather than sequentially. Financing was the issue most frequently raised on the ground, and that appears to be easing. We are also focused on loosening lending for supply-side projects. My goal is to do everything possible to honor the specific supply commitments the government has made in numerical terms.

— There has been criticism of the government's jeonse and monthly rent policy. What measures are being considered?

▶ The jeonse and monthly rent problem stems fundamentally from insufficient supply. I wish I could say it will be resolved within a few months, but realistically that is difficult. Prioritizing supply is the most effective measure available right now. In the second half of next year, we will introduce a newly built purchase-and-lease program. That should bring some speed to the process for younger renters. Korea Land and Housing Corp. is planning to allocate more of its budget to that area.

— You announced the introduction of abortion pills, but there are concerns about safety.

▶ When the mifepristone issue came up, everyone said it would be hard to move forward. It was genuinely difficult to say who was right or wrong. Even so, I believed the government had to proceed even at the cost of criticism. It is not that we have no concern for the life of the unborn — rather, I felt that responsible adults and accountable institutions must take ownership of this. The approach we have drawn up is not about moving fast; it is about finding the most conservative path possible.

— The new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency has launched, but there are concerns about insufficient preparation. And how does the government plan to pursue police reform?

▶ The confirmation hearing for the agency's director is coming soon, and I think a swift appointment is important. Staffing is at about 70 percent of the target, and as you know there are some issues with systems and infrastructure. That said, the motivation of those already on the ground appears to be high.

Filling the staffing gap is the most urgent priority. The agency remains open to prosecutors from the existing prosecution service and the new public prosecution office through April next year, and we want to move quickly on that — as well as opening external recruitment to bring in specialists.

The first session of the police reform committee is scheduled for Oct. 14. The key questions are the scope and content of investigative authority, and how to build greater expertise in the workforce. Above all, public trust in the police has fallen sharply. I believe we need to pay particular attention to how we strengthen internal oversight and inspection.

— What do you see as the root cause of the low approval ratings, and what role will you play in turning them around?

▶ A lawmaker said that to me recently, and it hit hard. They said approval was around 60 percent when I took office and had since dropped to the mid-30s, and asked what I thought. I said I feel a deep sense of responsibility — and the weight of that is real.

I see the approval ratings as a message from the people. The government is clearly doing something wrong, and the public keeps sending that signal — there are many voices saying they want to see it corrected. On housing in particular, there is no choice but to keep working consistently until trust is rebuilt.

Ultimately, how tax revenue is spent is a matter of fiscal policy, and I believe it must be directed properly toward the key livelihood priorities. More budget needs to go toward housing stability; the second priority is creating quality jobs; and the third is support for low-income financial services.

I do not think approval ratings will bounce back quickly just because we take some particular action. They will rise when we focus on the livelihood projects that actually change people's daily lives, do them well, and make the results visible.

The pressure was felt at the weekly meeting with the president as well. The president said, "We need to keep our heads straight," so I have been going through things one by one and resetting priorities.

— What is your position on the controversy over the re-nomination of Supreme Court justices?

▶ If the nomination right and the appointment right were clearly defined in law and regulation, there would be no problem — but these have been handled by convention, have they not? If the president simply appoints whoever is nominated, does the appointment power really exist? That is an unresolved question, and no one seems to answer it. Yet surely the person who makes the appointment bears the final responsibility and authority. If it were just a matter of rubber-stamping a nomination, why would the appointment procedure exist at all?

Until now, things have been worked out through convention and mutual consultation. What we are seeing now is that what used to work may no longer. I think the time has come to clearly define what these two terms — appointment power and nomination right — actually mean.

— Do you think the government's response to the DMZ landmine explosion was appropriate?

▶ I was shocked when I heard the news. It is deeply distressing when anyone is injured. My first concern was the condition of those hurt and how far the government's support should extend after their surgeries. On the broader response, I believe that is a matter for the Ministry of National Defense to assess and coordinate with the National Security Office — it would not be appropriate for me to say what the right course of action is. That said, now that it has been clearly established that this was North Korea's doing, I think there needs to be a sustained demand for an apology from North Korea and a clear process for obtaining one.

— Your predecessor conducted active prime ministerial diplomacy, including traveling to the United States to meet the vice president. Do you have similar plans?

▶ Even without my traveling abroad, so many visitors are coming to Korea these days. I genuinely feel this is an opportunity for Korea in many respects. Every visitor raises the topic of AI cooperation with Korea. So I think there is real potential — first in building proper AI governance and pursuing ODA cooperation, and then in broader collaboration on global AI hubs and AI-based social infrastructure.

— When will the detailed plan for the second round of public institution relocations be announced?

▶ The announcement is scheduled before the end of the year. A draft has been prepared, but there are still various factors to consider and consultations with the relevant institutions to complete.


oskymoon@heraldcorp.com