Supports "Common Occurrence" and "Private Conversation"
"Frequently Being Talked About Is Inappropriate"
Speculation on Running in Mapo Gap or Chungnam in Next Year's General Election
President Yoon Seok-yeol's Chief of Civil Society, Kang Seung-gyu, has come under suspicion of ordering a state-controlled demonstration in connection with MBC's report on the controversy over President Yoon's profanity. The People Power Party has come to his defense.
Earlier on the 5th, the internet media outlet 'The Tamza' reported that in September last year, when the 'Biden-Nalimen' controversy arose, Chief Kang referred to MBC as a traitorous media outlet during a phone call with a man and encouraged right-wing protests in front of the broadcasting station.
According to the media, during the call, when the man said, "We should mobilize all right-wing citizens to protest in front of MBC," Chief Kang replied, "Please convey that to those around you."
Regarding the controversy, Kim Jae-won, a Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, dismissed it as "a common story."
On YTN radio that day, Kim said, "The Chief of Civil Society might talk about his frustrating circumstances here and there, but did an actual protest take place? There was no large-scale resignation protest that occupied MBC to the extent that its management could no longer operate, and if we don't even know whether such a resignation protest occurred, then I think it's just a common story that could happen."
Lee Seung-hwan, former presidential office administrator and head of the People Power Party's Seoul Jungnang district organization committee, focused on the fact that the recording was a private conversation. On SBS radio that day, Lee said, "I am very saddened that private conversations are being reported in the media and turned into legal issues, creating a society of distrust," and added, "Chief Kang must feel very wronged."
Lee continued, "The position of Chief of Civil Society is really like a complaint office for the entire Republic of Korea, so they have to meet with any organization or individual, and if anyone calls, they have to answer first. For this to be a state-controlled demonstration order, the time, place, scale, and slogans must be specified, so the claim of a state-controlled demonstration is very unreasonable," he said.
However, Park Jeong-ha, a People Power Party lawmaker, defended Chief Kang by saying, "We need to look at the context," but also pointed out that it is inappropriate for presidential office chiefs to frequently be involved in controversies.
Chief Kang was previously embroiled in controversy over interfering in the People Power Party's party convention. In January, ahead of the party convention, it was alleged that Chief Kang requested a lawyer acquaintance of Kang Shin-up to refrain from running for the party's leadership election. Lawyer Kang is the person who created the fan cafe 'Geonhee Sarang' for First Lady Kim Geon-hee, wife of President Yoon.
On YTN's 'News & Issue' that day, Representative Park said, "Chief Kang is a former politician with a straightforward personality and a strong work ethic, so he often gets involved in various controversies. However, as a secretary serving the president in the presidential office, it is not appropriate for him to be mentioned so frequently. But we need to look at the context. Listening to the recorded audio or conversation, the other party keeps talking, and Chief Kang seems to be trying to end the call by saying 'yes, yes,' which is the impression I got," he said.
Currently, in political circles, there is speculation about Chief Kang's possible candidacy in next year's general election. It is predicted that he may run in Seoul Mapo-gap, where he served as a member of the 18th National Assembly, or in his hometown of Yesan-Hongseong in Chungnam. Chief Kang was also embroiled in allegations of pre-election campaigning after attending several events in Yesan County, Chungnam, last May.
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