"Senior-Level Personnel Decisions Are Made by the President"
Consensus on Mutual Destruction if Controversy Prolongs
On the 20th, President Yoon Seok-yeol accepted the resignation of Hwang Sang-moo, Senior Secretary for Civil Society at the Presidential Office. A presidential office official told Asia Economy in a phone interview that "appointments at the senior secretary level are the president's decision," suggesting that the acceptance of Hwang's resignation was ultimately a decision made by President Yoon.
Initially, even when Hwang's remarks were reported and the opposition's attacks intensified, President Yoon was reportedly skeptical about whether the matter warranted voluntary resignation or dismissal. As a result, the plan to conclude the issue with Hwang issuing an official apology statement in his own name on the 16th gained traction.
In the apology, Hwang stated, "From now on, I will be especially careful with my words and actions as a public official and will conduct myself more responsibly," clearly indicating that he had no intention of resigning voluntarily. In fact, Hwang continued his duties, participating normally in a meeting chaired by Lee Kwan-seop, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office, on the 18th.
However, the atmosphere changed drastically within two days. On the 17th, Han Dong-hoon, Emergency Response Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, pressured Hwang to resign, saying, "His remarks do not meet the public's expectations, and he should decide his own position." On the 19th, Han reiterated, "My position on the ‘Lee Jong-seop and Hwang Sang-moo controversy’ remains unchanged," adding, "I expressed my view that we must be sensitive to public sentiment ahead of a crucial election that will determine the nation's fate," escalating the conflict between Yoon and Han to a second phase.
It is particularly reported that President Yoon was concerned about the presidential office's press officer becoming an issue amid the controversy over Hwang's remarks. If the resignation was not accepted, it could be perceived that President Yoon sympathized with Hwang's comments, potentially negatively impacting approval ratings.
Moreover, with the general election just over 20 days away, the party leadership and candidates running in the Seoul metropolitan area actively demanded Hwang's resignation, leading to President Yoon's acceptance of the resignation after deep consideration. The exact timing of Hwang's voluntary resignation has not been disclosed.
Additionally, the presidential office announced that Ambassador Lee Jong-seop to Australia, who is under investigation for alleged external pressure in the case of the death of Marine Sergeant Chae, will soon voluntarily return to Korea. It is known that Ambassador Lee will return soon due to scheduled diplomatic and security-related meetings in the country. The presidential office has softened its previous stance that "it is highly inappropriate for a head of a diplomatic mission to remain idle in the country without being summoned by the High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (HOCI)."
A ruling party official said, "In a situation where public sentiment is crucial, prolonging the Lee Jong-seop and Hwang Sang-moo controversy would be a mutual destruction for the ruling party," adding, "It is urgent to quickly resolve the conflict and focus all efforts on the general election."
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