Yoon Skips Doorstepping Two Days in a Row... Will Tomorrow Be Uncomfortable Too?

Personnel Issues and Backdoor Controversies... Presidential Office Also Uncomfortable, "Media Will Listen to the Voice of the People"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Bae Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol’s morning “door-stepping” (informal press conference) did not take place for two consecutive days. Since his inauguration, there have been occasions when door-stepping was skipped due to regional schedules. However, given the recent personnel issues and controversies surrounding the president’s close aides, the omission of the informal press conference has rather drawn attention. Interest from both the political sphere and the public is already heightened ahead of President Yoon’s remarks at the presidential office building tomorrow morning.

According to the presidential office on the 7th, President Yoon moved directly from his residence in Seocho-gu, Seoul, to the site to attend a scheduled regional event that morning. Considering that he also attended the all-military senior commanders’ meeting held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, directly the previous morning, this marks two consecutive days of on-site arrivals.

The problem is that controversies surrounding President Yoon have intensified over these two days. On the morning of the 5th, while denying allegations of violating the Political Funds Act, President Yoon expressed discomfort over ongoing controversies related to personnel issues, including former Minister of Health and Welfare nominee Kim Seung-hee’s voluntary resignation and Fair Trade Commission Chairman nominee Song Ok-ryeol’s apology for past sexual harassment remarks, acknowledging his mistakes.

In response to criticism of personnel failures, when asked by reporters, “Personnel decisions are the president’s responsibility. Many of these recurring issues could have been thoroughly verified beforehand,” President Yoon replied, “Try comparing with other administrations regarding the qualifications of people,” before heading straight to his office.

Public opinion has also worsened significantly. Although President Yoon said he would not pay heed to poll results, a survey conducted by Gallup Korea and released on the 1st, covering the last week of June (June 28?30), showed that 18% of respondents who gave negative evaluations cited “personnel issues” as the reason. This was a higher proportion than those citing “economic and livelihood issues” (10%).

Moreover, concerns have grown due to the overlapping “private hiring controversy.” Following the controversy over the use of private acquaintances by Shin Mo, spouse of Presidential Personnel Secretary Lee Won-mo, it was confirmed that President Yoon’s relative Choi Mo is working as a senior administrative officer at the presidential office. Although the presidential office dismissed criticisms that this violated “fairness and common sense” by stating “there is no fault in the appointment,” public reaction remains cold.

Furthermore, regarding Shin, while denying any private relationship, the explanation was given that “this person has a long-standing connection with the presidential couple,” adding, “Event planning requires expertise in various fields, but it is also important to understand the intentions of the presidential couple well.” It is also known that Shin, who handled duties involving confidential matters such as the president’s schedule, did not have a separate contract. A presidential office official explained, “Unpaid volunteer work does not require or justify a contract.”

The opposition’s offensive is expected to intensify. The Democratic Party of Korea has demanded disclosure of the circumstances of Shin’s accompaniment and clarification on whether the provision of flights and accommodation was lawful. There have also been calls for a state audit, likening the situation to the Choi Soon-sil political scandal during the Park Geun-hye administration. Democratic Party spokesperson Jo Oh-seop criticized, “Does the presidential office share top-secret information and allow a civilian to plan presidential schedules and events without any standards or principles just because of a connection with the presidential couple? This seriously violates the common sense of the people.”

The biggest issue is that the “personnel” problems surrounding President Yoon are undermining the momentum of state affairs at a time when economic challenges and various reforms need to be pushed forward. There are concerns that without reforms to the personnel system and strengthening of moral verification, personnel issues will negatively affect the entire Yoon administration. A presidential office official issued a brief statement saying, “We will reflect the criticisms and voices from the media and public opinion and manage the situation to prevent misunderstandings.”