President Lee to Hold '100 Days in Office' Press Conference Tomorrow... Focus on ROK-U.S. Relations, Prosecution Reform, and More

Second conference since the one on the 30th day... Highlighting commitment to communication while explaining policy blueprints to the public

Expected to address pending issues such as U.S. detention cases, supplementary investigative authority, party-government relations, and criteria for major shareholders

President Lee Jae-myung holding his 30-day press conference last July [Yonhap News File Photo]

As President Lee Jae-myung's second press conference since taking office is just one day away, attention is focused on what messages he will deliver regarding domestic and international issues.

President Lee is scheduled to hold a 90-minute press conference on the 11th, his 100th day in office, under the slogan "100 Days for Recovery, Growth for the Future."

This comes 70 days after his first press conference on July 3, which marked his 30th day in office.

This is the first time a president has held a second press conference within 100 days of inauguration. The Presidential Office stated that this demonstrates President Lee's commitment to strengthening communication with the public.

It is reported that President Lee will also dedicate a significant amount of time to preparing for the conference, aside from fulfilling a few scheduled engagements on the 10th.

While the first press conference was an opportunity to introduce the policy direction of the Lee Jae-myung administration, which launched without a transition committee, this session is expected to serve as a platform to explain more concrete policy blueprints.

First, President Lee plans to introduce the policies for public livelihood and economic recovery, as well as future growth strategies that have been pushed with a focus on "recovery and growth" over the past 100 days.

Questions and answers regarding the myriad of internal and external issues are also expected to follow.

With the South Koreans who were arrested and detained at a Korean factory in Georgia, U.S., reportedly expected to return home soon, attention is focused on whether he will address the progress and conditions of negotiations between South Korean and U.S. authorities, as well as plans for institutional improvements.

Follow-up measures to last month's ROK-U.S. summit, such as tariff negotiations currently at a stalemate and security-related discussions including the "future-oriented strategic transformation of U.S. Forces Korea"—a topic President Lee personally mentioned—are also likely to be subjects of discussion.

As the "ROK-U.S.-Japan vs. North Korea-China-Russia" alignment becomes more distinct, security initiatives for the Korean Peninsula, including the North Korean nuclear issue, are highly likely to be key agenda items.

Prosecution reform, one of the Lee Jae-myung administration's core reform tasks, is also expected to be a major topic.

Interest is gathering on what opinions President Lee will express regarding issues such as the potential abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigative authority, which has remained a point of contention following the separation of investigation and prosecution through government reorganization.

Given that differences in positions between the party and the government have surfaced several times regarding the speed and method of prosecution reform, questions and answers on this matter may also arise.

Regarding the "criteria for major shareholders subject to stock capital gains tax," a long-debated issue within the ruling party, it is reported that President Lee is highly likely to use the press conference to reveal the results of his deliberation and reach a final decision.

Since even after President Lee's meeting with the leaders of the ruling and opposition parties, the National Assembly has remained in a fierce standoff over special prosecutor acts and judicial reform bills, the issue of cooperation with the opposition party could also be a topic of inquiry.