[Yongsan Report] Presidential Office Remains Silent for Now... Strategizing Ahead of Yoon-Han Meeting

Announcement Imminent on the Establishment of the Second Secretariat Supporting First Lady Kim Geon-hee

President Yoon Suk-yeol is shaking hands with Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, who came to greet him upon his return at Seongnam Seoul Airport on the 11th after his state visits to the Philippines and Singapore and the ASEAN Summit in Laos.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

"Is Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, being too vocal?" vs. "We cannot ignore public sentiment. Compromise is inevitable."

The Blue House is maintaining a facade of 'silence' while feeling relieved that the ruling party has held its stronghold following the October 16 by-elections. However, intense behind-the-scenes efforts are underway, centered around the political affairs team. Ahead of the scheduled meeting on the 21st with Han Dong-hoon, the People Power Party leader who has been making strong statements daily about personnel reshuffles in Yongsan and the suspension of public activities by First Lady Kim Keon-hee, aides are putting their heads together to find solutions. A Blue House official stated, "We are in the final stages of discussions regarding the format and agenda for the meeting between President Yoon and Leader Han."

Regarding the prosecution's decision the previous day to clear First Lady Kim of charges related to the 'Deutsche Motors stock manipulation' case, Yongsan has not issued any separate official statement. Since there was an initial perception that the investigation itself was unjust, there is a sense of welcoming the dismissal of charges. However, given the prevailing negative public opinion toward the First Lady following the political broker Myung Tae-gyun's expos? that stirred public sentiment just before the election, there is a cautious atmosphere to avoid further worsening public opinion.

The establishment of a Second Secretariat to assist First Lady Kim is gaining momentum in light of these developments. It is scheduled to be launched early next month after the conclusion of the National Assembly audit, with Jang Soon-chil, Secretary for Civil Society 2, already appointed as the head of the Second Secretariat and supporting related tasks. It is known that the final arrangements for staffing the Second Secretariat are underway. This suggests that the announcement of the Second Secretariat's establishment is imminent.

However, voices within the ruling party calling for an apology from First Lady Kim are deepening the Blue House's dilemma. A key ruling party official remarked, "While judicial procedures regarding the First Lady's allegations are unlikely to proceed, public opinion largely views her actions as inappropriate due to the expos? by Mr. Myung and others," adding, "Since the First Lady's issue is becoming an obstacle to governance, a moral apology is necessary to break the cycle of negativity." On the other hand, within the Blue House, concerns are growing that an apology from the First Lady could provide the opposition with grounds for attack, leading to a negative stance. It is said that intense deliberations are ongoing regarding the future response.