[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] Attention is focused on the name "Kang Ki-hoon" appearing in the photo of the Telegram chat messages between President Yoon Seok-yeol and Kwon Seong-dong, the acting leader of the People Power Party and floor leader.
The acting leader was seen typing "Together with Kang Ki-hoon..." in the Telegram chat input box, and there are reports that this person is an administrative officer at the Presidential Office. However, the Presidential Office stated that although there is an administrative officer with that name working there, they have not confirmed if it is the same individual.
Choi Young-beom, the chief public relations officer of the Presidential Office, explained at a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the morning of the 27th, "I understand that someone with the same name (Kang Ki-hoon) is working in the Presidential Secretariat," adding, "He assists with schedule management and coordination as part of the Planning Secretary's duties. He has not yet been officially appointed, and the appointment process is ongoing."
It is known that Administrative Officer Kang plays a role in reflecting the opinions of the younger generation related to President Yoon's schedule within the Planning Secretary's office. When asked whether Acting Leader Kwon recommended this administrative officer during the hiring process, Chief Choi replied, "I do not know the details of that."
Administrative Officer Kang is known to reflect the opinions of the younger generation, often referred to as the "MZ generation," when arranging President Yoon's schedule in the Planning Secretary's office.
When asked by reporters whether Floor Leader Kwon recommended him during the hiring process, Chief Choi refrained from commenting, saying, "I do not know the details of that."
Controversy seems to be spreading in a different direction as it has been revealed that this administrative officer is a founding member of the Liberty Dawn Party, which is classified by some as a hard-right party.
When asked, "According to media reports, the Liberty Dawn Party is far-right; is it true that Kang Ki-hoon was a founding member?" Chief Choi said, "I do not know that person precisely. To evaluate whether someone is far-right or far-left requires more thorough review and analysis." However, another Presidential Office official confirmed that he is indeed from the Liberty Dawn Party.
A senior official of the Presidential Office later responded to reporters' questions about whether Administrative Officer Kang had been asked for his position or his relationship with Representative Kwon following the text message report, saying, "There has been no official report."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
