President Moon Jae-in will talk with eight South Korean citizens via a popular mobile messenger app on the occasion of the Lunar New Year holiday this week, Cheong Wa Dae said Tuesday.

The video call scheduled for Thursday is part of Moon's stated efforts to rev up "direct public communication," as the people are going through difficulties from the COVID-19 crisis. Moon has set "recovery, inclusiveness and resurgence" as key policy goals of 2021.

The eight, selected to represent Koreans from various walks of life, include Ahn Gwang-hoon, a New Zealand-born priest, and Ji So-yun, a professional footballer, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kang Min-seok. He stopped short of revealing the names of other participants.

Ahn, who is a social activist known for helping the vulnerable here, was presented with Korean citizenship last year. Ji, a Chelsea midfielder, is the first-ever Korean to join the FA Women's Premier league.

During the call using the "face talk" service of KakaoTalk, Moon plans to "express a message of consolation and gratitude to the people enduring a difficult period due to COVID-19," Kang said. The president will also have "candid dialogue" with the citizens, reaffirming the government's push for the year of recovery and inclusiveness.

Moon is scheduled to visit a local traditional market on Wednesday, but he plans to stay at his official residence at Cheong Wa Dae on Friday to comply with social distancing restrictions, which include a ban on gatherings of five or more people.

In previous years, Moon usually traveled to Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, 420 kilometers southeast of Seoul, where his private home is located, during the Lunar New Year holiday season. (Yonhap)