Yoon Geon-young on Former Cheong Wa Dae Secretary Who Became Lee Jae-yong's Lawyer: "Why Did You Think That?"

"There is an old saying, 'Do not change your liver under the plum tree'"
"Concerned it may burden President Moon's pardon authority"

Yoon Geon-young, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, indirectly criticized former Blue House Legal Secretary Kim Hyung-yeon joining the defense team of Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong by saying, "There is an old saying, 'Do not adjust your hat under a plum tree.'" Amid growing controversy, former Secretary Kim expressed his intention to withdraw from Lee's defense team.

On the 13th, Yoon wrote on his Facebook, "My first thought was, 'Why would he think that?'" He added, "Personally, I was not close to former Secretary Kim, but the person I saw while working together at the Blue House was competent. He handled matters according to principles, but reasonably."

He continued, "I do not know the reason why he took on Lee's defense," but pointed out, "For someone who held a senior government position, taking on a case that is becoming a social controversy even before the government ends requires great caution and care."

He further noted, "The issue of a pardon for Vice Chairman Lee is emerging as a current topic," and said, "Regardless of the debate over the pros and cons of the pardon, it does not seem appropriate for someone who worked at the Blue House to be at the center of controversy right now."

Yoon referred to former Secretary Kim as "now a civilian," but expressed concern, saying, "The world still sees him as a 'former' senior official of the Moon Jae-in administration. As a result, it may become a burden regarding the president's pardon authority, which worries me even more."

Hyung-Yeon Kim, Former Legal Secretary to the Blue House / Photo by Yonhap News

Former Secretary Kim served as the Legal Secretary of the Blue House Civil Affairs Office from May 2017 to May 2019. After serving as the head of the Legislation Office until August last year, he subsequently opened a law practice.

According to multiple media reports, former Secretary Kim submitted a notice of appointment to the Seoul Central District Court Criminal Division 25-2, which is handling Vice Chairman Lee's case, on February 26.

Lee was indicted last September on charges of manipulating Samsung C&T's stock price during the merger process with Cheil Industries to create a merger ratio favorable to the major shareholder.

Criticism also arose from opposition parties regarding former Secretary Kim joining Lee's defense team.

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Geum Tae-seop wrote on his Facebook on the 12th, "The actions of a former Blue House secretary who was a judge," and criticized, "I can only say it is appalling. There is no professional ethics required of a legal expert, no public-mindedness conscious of the people's gaze, nor even the minimum decency."

Meanwhile, amid growing controversy, former Secretary Kim announced on the 13th that he would withdraw from Lee's defense team.

In a statement released that day, former Secretary Kim explained the reason for his resignation, saying, "There were speculative reports in some media that were not based on facts," and "Although the reports were completely inaccurate, unnecessary social controversy arose because of them, so I decided to resign."