The main opposition Democratic Party(DP) has criticized President Yoon Suk Yeol's remarks made after returning from his summer break, saying his commitment to self-reflection is ambiguous and solutions to state affairs remain unclear.

In a statement on Monday, DP spokesperson Jo O-seop said the public will not view Yoon's words as a responsible apology and questioned why the president was not responding to people's calls for an overhaul of state governance and personnel appointments.

Jo rhetorically questioned whether Yoon was still unsure of how to resolve current challenges or if he still believed his intentions were being distorted by the opposition camp and the media.

Citing a disapproval rating exceeding 70 percent in the polls, Jo said Yoon cannot assuage public sentiment and untangle the utter disorder of state affairs without a sincere apology and complete overhaul through reforms.

The spokesman said the mid-20 percent approval rating is a natural outcome of the president’s refusal to listen to the public and adopt a flexible attitude. He urged Yoon to swiftly apologize to the people, declare plans to revamp state affairs that include an overhaul of presidential staff and also promise to root out corruption by family members and close aides through the appointment of a special inspector charged with the task.

Upon returning from vacation on Monday, President Yoon promised to uphold the public's will and reexamine all issues from the people's perspective.