Before the secretive controversy cools down, Yoon's relatives hiring controversy spreads
Regarding criticism that it goes against public sentiment, "Not subject to hiring restrictions... If it goes against public sentiment, the law should be revised"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Following the revelation that the wife of Lee Won-mo, Personnel Secretary at the Presidential Office, supported event planning during President Yoon’s North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) tour, and that a sixth cousin on President Yoon’s maternal side works at the Presidential Office, the issue has escalated from secret influence to a 'hiring controversy.' The Presidential Office has repeatedly denied this, stating, "Excluding someone due to distant kinship despite their work capabilities is also discrimination," choosing to confront the issue head-on.
At a briefing held on the 7th at the Yongsan Presidential Office, a Presidential Office official responded to criticism that it was inappropriate for Choi, a sixth cousin on President Yoon’s maternal side, to be hired as a senior administrative officer and serve as the head of the residence team (tentative title) assisting the Hannam-dong residence.
Previously, the Presidential Office had rebutted in a press release that Choi was appointed to the Presidential Office to ensure continuity of work, having performed various tasks since the presidential primary campaign, and that there was no fault in his appointment considering his long-term experience in a major corporation. At the briefing, the official reiterated that "he worked together during the presidential primary campaign and is currently assisting the president closely," maintaining that there is no issue with his career. However, when asked by reporters whether Choi’s career details could be disclosed, the official bluntly replied, "It seems meaningless to verify each Presidential Office employee’s career details, and I think there is no reason to do so."
Regarding criticism of hiring relatives, the Presidential Office particularly emphasized that Choi is not subject to hiring restrictions under the Conflict of Interest Prevention Act because he is a sixth cousin of President Yoon. The official explained, "The Conflict of Interest Prevention Act restricts hiring family members such as spouses, direct blood relatives, siblings, cohabiting sons-in-law or daughters-in-law, cohabiting parents-in-law, and cohabiting siblings-in-law. These restrictions were clearly created because such cases go against public sentiment. If hiring a sixth cousin on the maternal side also goes against public sentiment, then the law should be revised," raising their voice.
The office also stated that calling Choi’s appointment a case of secret influence is malicious. The official said, "Referring to someone performing official duties in a public organization as secret influence is a clear false report," emphasizing, "It is a clear falsehood and malicious reporting."
The Presidential Office maintains that Shin, the wife of the Personnel Secretary, is recognized as a person with international event planning capabilities and that there are no legal issues such as conflicts of interest, but opposition is growing. Shin, a civilian, joined the advance team for President Yoon and his wife’s NATO tour, supporting event planning such as the Korean community meeting, and returned on the presidential aircraft No. 1.
Former Blue House Protocol Secretary Tak Hyun-min appeared on various radio programs that day and expressed critical views regarding the secret influence controversy related to Shin. He said, "Looking at the ongoing explanations from the Presidential Office, they claim she has some great overseas planning ability, but they do not explain what that planning ability is," adding, "We saw the tour events, but many citizens are not convinced about how great the planning ability was or how successful the results were."
He also pointed out that it is common sense for the Presidential Office to sign a service contract and work publicly when dealing with civilians, especially since all previous special envoys paid for their own flights and accommodations, but in this case, flights and accommodations were provided without a contract, which could be a significant issue.
Regarding this, the official said, "The Presidential Office will not comment on Mr. Tak’s remarks," adding, "His background check and security agreement have all been completed."
Some speculate that Shin and her mother, who each donated 10 million won during President Yoon’s presidential candidacy, might pose a conflict of interest. The office responded, "Let me ask in reverse. Do you think that donating 10 million won each during the preliminary candidacy last year influenced the tour?"
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