Cheong Park Suhyun Targets Yoon "Using 'shameless' with suspicion? ... Strong Regret"

"Is Yoon's Appointment of University Alumni Also a Parachute and Entrenchment?"

Park Su-hyun, Senior Secretary for Public Communication at the Blue House.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kang Wooseok] Park Suhyun, Chief of Public Communication at the Blue House, criticized the briefing by the Presidential Transition Committee on the appointment of the new CEO of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) on the 4th, saying, "The transition committee's announcement only says 'it is suspicious.' But how can you use the term 'shameless' with just suspicion? The term 'shameless' cannot be used so lightly. We strongly regret the raising of such suspicions."

On the same day, Park appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyunjung's News Show' and said, "To be clear once again, the president neither appointed nor was involved in any way in the selection of the (DSME CEO), nor could he be involved," emphasizing this point.

He added, "Regarding the (DSME CEO appointment), they must have judged that a management expert from within the company is needed to quickly revive Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering amid the current recovering shipbuilding market," and raised his voice, saying, "DSME is clearly a private company under the Commercial Act and the Capital Market Act. I cannot understand how anyone thinks the president can exercise personnel authority over this private company."

Regarding the transition committee's statement that "we will communicate with the Board of Audit and Inspection on this matter and take necessary measures," he said, "I don't know what impact an audit would have on Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering, but since it is unrelated to us, that is a matter for the new government to handle."

Park further pointed out, "Because (DSME) is effectively a public enterprise, the person identified as a college classmate of the president's younger sibling involved the president. What kind of connection is there just because someone is a college classmate of the president's younger sibling?" He added, "With all due respect, if the president-elect's college classmates and alumni cannot be appointed to the new government at all, would that be considered entrenchment or parachuting? What would you do if we said that?"