2nd Anniversary Press Conference on the 9th Morning in Yongsan
1 Year and 9 Months After 100 Days in Office
Conditional Acceptance Possible for Special Prosecutor Chaesangbyeong
Regarding Special Prosecutor Law for First Lady Kim Geonhee
"I Will Not Avoid Any Questions"
New Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Kim Juhyun, Former Deputy Minister of Justice, Appointed
President Yoon Suk-yeol will directly address sensitive issues such as the Special Prosecutor Act for First Lady Kim Geon-hee and the Special Prosecutor Act related to Chae Sang-byeong at a press conference commemorating his second anniversary in office, scheduled for 10 a.m. on the 9th at the Yongsan Presidential Office in Seoul. This will be his first press conference in one year and nine months since the 100-day inauguration press conference in August 2022. The timing appears to be aimed at reforming his image of being 'uncommunicative,' which was cited as one of the main reasons for the ruling party's defeat in the April 10 general election.
The most notable point in this press conference is what he will say about the recently passed "Special Prosecutor Appointment Act for the Investigation of Obstruction and Concealment of the Truth Regarding the Death of a Marine in the Line of Duty" (Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor Act), which was passed in the National Assembly plenary session led by the opposition party. Since Chief Presidential Secretary Jeong Jin-seok and Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Cheol-ho have already hinted at exercising the right to request reconsideration (veto), there is speculation that President Yoon may express a negative view, citing reasons such as the matter already being under investigation and legal issues involved.
However, given the importance of regaining public trust and cooperating with the opposition party after the election defeat, exercising the veto would inevitably be a burden for President Yoon. Therefore, he might adopt a 'conditional acceptance' stance, suggesting to wait for the investigation results first and then discuss the special prosecutor appointment. The presidential office is currently negative about the bill, but since there is consensus within the People Power Party, there is analysis that a sudden compromise could be reached.
Mention of Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor Act... May Express Views on the Second Office
The second point of interest is the Special Prosecutor Act concerning First Lady Kim Geon-hee. President Yoon has stated that he will accept any questions without avoidance, so it is expected that there will be remarks related to his wife. Since the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office is currently investigating allegations involving Kim Geon-hee, such as stock manipulation related to Deutsche Motors and the Dior bag bribery suspicion, President Yoon is expected to instruct a swift investigation and express a stance to observe the prosecution's results. He may also express his views on the establishment of the Second Office, which officially supports the First Lady's activities.
A presidential office official said, "President Yoon has not scheduled any public events on the 6th and 7th to prepare with his aides for the press conference on the 9th. He plans to answer sincerely, focusing on questions the public is curious about rather than what he wants to say." Since the Q&A session of this press conference will last about an hour, topics such as medical reform centered on increasing medical school admissions and livelihood support funds, which show differences with the opposition, are expected to be broadly covered.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is answering questions from reporters while introducing Kim Joo-hyun, former Deputy Minister of Justice, who has been appointed as the new Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, at the Presidential Office building in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]
Additionally, on the morning of the same day, President Yoon appointed Kim Ju-hyun, former Deputy Minister of Justice (age 63, Judicial Research and Training Institute class 18), as the new Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs. President Yoon personally announced the appointment and introduced Kim, also taking questions from reporters.
Regarding the reason for reviving the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs office, President Yoon said, "The function of listening to public sentiment was too weak, and I received a lot of advice from editorials and those around me," adding, "Civil affairs were not properly handled, so I also pondered it. Former President Kim Dae-jung initially only had the Legal Secretary's Office due to concerns about dysfunction but eventually restored the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs office two years after his inauguration." He continued, "I also thought it would be better to restore the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs office."
He added, "When I had a meeting with Representative Lee Jae-myung last time, the opposition delegation also pointed out the function of listening to public sentiment, saying that frontline public sentiment does not seem to be conveyed to the president, and they mentioned restoring the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs office."
Yoon: "Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Established for the People... Within the Framework of the Rule of Law"
Regarding criticism from the opposition that appointing a former prosecutor as Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs is an 'attempt to control investigative agencies' or 'to defend against special prosecutors,' President Yoon emphasized, "It was established for the people." He also said, "Previously, there was a need for a secretary to coordinate between public service discipline and legal affairs because the Chief of Staff is not a legal expert. Since public sentiment information involves collecting and handling information, departments handling information in Korea and worldwide are led by legal experts to ensure that information is handled within the framework of the rule of law."
In particular, President Yoon said, "Therefore, in past administrations, most Senior Secretaries for Civil Affairs have been legal experts, mostly former prosecutors. If there is a judicial risk, it is a matter I must handle. If there are allegations against me, I should explain and resolve them; I don't think it is the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs' job," he added.
In his inaugural remarks, the new Senior Secretary Kim said, "There have been criticisms that the function of listening to public sentiment is insufficient, so I will do my best to listen to public sentiment without omission and reflect it in state affairs. Since the duties of public service discipline and the Legal Secretary's Office will be transferred, if there are inconveniences or problems experienced by the public in various policy fields, I will ensure they are well reflected in state affairs."
Senior Secretary Kim is from Seoul and graduated from Seorabeol High School and Seoul National University Law School. After completing the Judicial Research and Training Institute as class 18, he began his career as a prosecutor at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in 1989. He served as Director of the Planning Office and Director of the Prosecution Bureau at the Ministry of Justice, then as Deputy Minister of Justice in February 2015, and later as Deputy Prosecutor General of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in December of the same year.
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