청 "Prosecutor Personnel Phone Interview? Not True"

Explanation on Prosecutor Mid-Level Executive Personnel Changes... "The Ministry of Justice conducted personnel procedures accordingly, and the authority lies with the President"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] A Blue House official met with reporters on the 23rd and explained regarding the mid-level prosecutor personnel appointments, "Personnel verification is conducted to assess the candidate's suitability for public office by reviewing public records related to the candidate personally, such as assets, military service, and real estate, as well as media reports, major responsibilities, and relevant policy matters, all of which are confirmed directly with the candidate."

The official added, "This is a standard verification process and is uniformly applied to all candidates for public office across all ministries and public institutions."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Blue House official stated, "Specific questions appeared in media reports, but we have not found any evidence that inquiries were made regarding these contents. Some media outlets have referred to this as a 'phone interview,' but this is also inaccurate. It is an essential process to verify facts."

The official further said, "It seems inappropriate to claim that ideological tendencies were checked based on specific incidents. We express regret over the unfounded speculation that distorts the personnel verification process for public office candidates and undermines its fairness."

Regarding allegations that questions were asked about the case involving former Unified Progressive Party lawmaker Lee Seok-ki, the Blue House official clarified, "To be precise, internal checks have found no evidence that inquiries related to Lee Seok-ki were made."

The Blue House official asserted about the recent prosecutor appointments, "The Ministry of Justice conducted the personnel process according to procedures, and I understand that the Ministry of Justice has explained the background accordingly. The right to propose candidates lies with the Minister of Justice, and the authority to appoint personnel rests with the President."