Presidential Office: "Special Inspector Appointed If Ruling and Opposition Agree... No Protocol Snub of Han Dong-hoon" (Comprehensive)

If Intra-Party Differences Are Resolved, Special Inspector Appointment
Presidential Office Refutes Han's 'Yongsan Recoloring' Remarks
Despite Prolonged Neglect Controversy, "No Intentions"
After Meeting, 'Yoon-Han' Conflict Deepens

President Yoon Suk-yeol is meeting with Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 21st, and they are moving to a place for a casual conversation.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 23rd, the Presidential Office indicated its willingness to appoint a special inspector if the ruling and opposition parties reach an agreement and present a candidate, in response to Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, announcing plans to push forward the recommendation process for a special inspector as a solution regarding First Lady Kim Geon-hee.

A Presidential Office official told reporters at the Yongsan Presidential Office that afternoon, "As we have said several times, if the ruling and opposition parties come to an agreement, we will appoint," adding, "There were various discussions within the party just this morning, so we will watch how things develop."

When asked whether the special inspector would be appointed if the ruling and opposition parties agree without linking it to the recommendation of directors for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, the official responded, "That is not something we can answer," and added, "The ruling party is pushing to link it with the recommendation of directors for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation, so it is an internal party matter to resolve."

The special inspector is a vice-minister-level official who investigates misconduct by the president’s relatives. The National Assembly recommends three candidates for the special inspector to the president, who then nominates one of them to be appointed after a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly.

Han proposed the appointment of a special inspector during a meeting with President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 21st, but President Yoon responded by mentioning the issue of recommending directors for the North Korean Human Rights Foundation and said, "The special inspector is a matter for consultation between the ruling and opposition parties."

On the morning of the same day, Han officially declared his intention to push forward the recommendation process for the special inspector. In response, Choo Kyung-ho, the floor leader of the People Power Party, expressed a differing view, stating that the recommendation of the special inspector is an 'internal parliamentary matter' and that gathering opinions from party members should come first.

Yongsan: "In a grave political situation, the party and government must unite to overcome difficulties"

The Presidential Office rebutted Han’s remark at a dinner with the pro-Han (pro-Han Dong-hoon) faction that "Yongsan is not the time to alter words," saying, "We would like him to specify which parts are distorted and why."

Regarding the criticism of 'protocol neglect' during the meeting between President Yoon and Han, the office stated, "It is a matter that deviates from the essence," and clarified, "There was absolutely no such intention."

A Presidential Office official emphasized, "In this grave political situation, the party and government must unite to overcome these difficulties."

President Yoon Suk-yeol is having a conversation with Han Dong-hoon, the leader of the People Power Party, in front of the Fine Glass at the Presidential Office in Yongsan, Seoul, on the 21st. Chief Presidential Secretary Jeong Jin-seok was present at the meeting.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, the Presidential Office held a briefing and introduced President Yoon’s remarks during the meeting on the 21st. It was reported that Han made a statement at a pro-Han faction dinner that evening, suggesting that Yongsan had altered words. Han reportedly said regarding the three major proposals related to First Lady Kim, "Yongsan is at the point of saying 'yes' or 'no.'"

In response, a Presidential Office official said, "Regarding the 'yes' or 'no' part, we already provided answers one by one yesterday, even adding some 'plus alpha' explanations."

The Presidential Office also denied claims of 'protocol neglect' against Han, mainly from the pro-Han faction. The official said, "There are claims that protocol neglect was planned, but I think that is a distorted interpretation," adding, "Protocol neglect is a matter that deviates from the essence, and there was absolutely no such intention."

"Protocol neglect claims are matters that deviate from the essence"

The pro-Han faction pointed out that President Yoon arrived about 25 minutes late compared to the scheduled time on the day of the meeting, the meeting venue Pine Grass was small, and the table arrangement was inappropriate. A Presidential Office official explained, "Pine Grass is where we had dinner with ruling party lawmakers," adding, "It was selected with the lawn in mind for walking."

Regarding President Yoon’s tardiness, the official explained, "There was a security-related meeting on North Korea’s deployment to Russia right before the meeting," and "There was also a meeting with the UK Foreign Secretary, which was delayed by more than 15 minutes, causing the meeting to be delayed by about 20 minutes." The official added, "The Chief Secretary for Political Affairs continuously shared updates about the delay, and President Yoon explained upon arrival that he was late due to various reasons."

Regarding the meeting being held at a long table instead of a round table, the official said, "There is no round table at that venue where the president and Han could sit together," but also noted, "I wonder how important the shape of the table is when having a conversation."

Regarding the controversy over the photos released by the Presidential Office after the meeting, the office said there was "no intention." In the photos distributed after the meeting, President Yoon is seen with both arms resting on the table, while only the back of Han’s head is visible. The pro-Han faction criticized the photos, saying, "They give the impression of a principal lecturing students."

A Presidential Office official said, "There are various discussions about the photos, but we took them quickly within a limited time and selected one from photos taken from various angles," adding, "There was absolutely no intention behind it."