President Lee Jae Myung holds 1st press conference marking 30 days in office

We start here on the national front with a press conference held by the president to mark his first full month at the top office earlier on this Thursday.

On the agenda were issues of much interest ranging from the economy to security to diplomacy.

Our top office correspondent Yoon Jung-min is standing by live with details.

Jung-min it's good to have you on.

Do start us off.

Sunny. A host of issues were covered during the 2-hour long press conference at the Yeongbingwan Hall at the Blue House, under the title of "asked by the press, answers to the public."

First, take a listen to what President Lee had to say marking his 30th day in office:

"The past 30 days were a time when I was dashing every day, bearing in mind the desperate desires of our people who have been crossing the waves of a national crisis. Above all, I'm making every effort to recover the people's livelihoods that have been devastated."

For the remaining four years and 11 months, the new South Korean President vowed to make full efforts to stabilize the people's livelihoods and the cost of living.

He promised to spare no effort in investing in AI, chips, renewable energy, and the culture industry for future growth.

And Jung-min what did he have to say with regard to his foreign policy?

The President was mindful of trade negotiations with the U.S., as the Trump administration's deadline for tariff talks is less than a week away.

He said one thing that he could say for sure was that it's "not easy."

"I'm not sure if I can say it could be done by July 8. I'm doing my best. We need to yield results that are mutually reciprocal that help both sides, but it is still not clear what exactly both sides want."

He went on to say that his government is looking for "topics in many different fields."

On North Korea, the Commander-in-Chief vowed to improve relations with Pyongyang based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance as well as the three-way cooperation with Japan, urging the importance of "dialogue and communication."

"It's foolish to completely cut off dialogue. We should listen to them even if we hate them. We should negotiate and talk. When it comes to politics and diplomacy, emotions should be left out."

The town hall-style presser took place under the theme of "closer, broader and anew," bringing the seats of the reporters closer to the president's desk, without a podium.

I should also note that the press conference took place unusually fast, just 30 days since President Lee Jae Myung took office, breaking a long tradition of South Korean presidents holding their pressers around the 100-day milestone.

Back to you, Sunny.

All right Jung-min thank you for the latest from the president's first press conference held earlier this morning to mark one month at the top office.