When the unknown left-winger, Roh Moo-hyun, was elected president at the end of 2002, South Koreans welcomed him as a breath of fresh air, a maverick who spoke his mind and pledged to make the country more independent.
But for many South Koreans, Mr Roh has been rather too outspoken ? a trait he recently put on full display over a 10-day period in which he made several inflammatory speeches that analysts said were more befitting of a presidential candidate than a president.
Although there are 354 days before the next presidential election, campaigning in South Korea is already in full swing.
Every day, newspaper front pages feature one of the three possible candidates of the opposition Grand National party helping the elderly, patting pigs, visiting soldiers or dressing up as Father Christmas.
Meanwhile, the ruling Uri party has been mired in infighting and has no strong candidate for its presidential nominee. The heads of rival factions in Uri decided this week to create a new party to try and win back public confidence.
However, it is the antics of the president that are winning the most attention.
In a highly emotional address last week that was meant to last only 20 minutes but lasted for more than an hour, Mr Roh called his first prime minister “a failure”, belittled South Korea’s alliance with the US and enraged soldiers by suggesting compulsory military service was a waste of time.
Mr Roh illustrated his views in particularly colourful language. About the 50-year-old alliance with the US, Mr Roh said that “clinging to the crotch of the US’s pants and hiding behind the US’s ass” suggested Korea was too dependent on its long-time ally.
Mr Roh’s remarks have stoked criticism from his fiercest enemy ? the conservative press ? which is counting the days until his term ends.
The JoongAng Ilbo newspaper wrote in an editorial: “During his regime, he has ruined the nation’s prestige with his uncontrollable mouth and the nation is fearful of just what he might do next.”
Opinion polls now regularly put Mr Roh’s approval ratings in single digits and he is widely viewed as a “lame duck”.
However, instead of stepping back or remaining quiet, the president has continued with his inflammatory statements, blaming public hostility to his performance on “vested interests”, including business groups, the conservative media and public prosecutors.
On Wednesday, Mr Roh wondered aloud to an audience in his hometown of Busan: “Why am I so un- popular? It is because I make such blunt and rough remarks?.?.?.?I can’t help it.”
Analysts have suggested that Mr Roh might be trying to turn up the political heat and win back some of the support he once enjoyed.
If this is the case, the tactic appears to be paying some dividends.
While some of Mr Roh’s supporters have become disillusioned with him, his recent outbursts have also prompted a deluge of encouraging comments on the “Nosamo” (We love Roh) website from people happy to see the president acting like a candidate again.
One user identified only as “kikidus87” wrote in a posting to the website: “You just keep doing what you have to do in your last year as president and continue speaking your mind. We believe in you.”