Presidential Office: "Fake News Claiming Yongsan Dispatched Staff Returning to Party for Presidential Election Preparation"

Presidential Office Strongly Denies Park Seon-won's Claims
Says Return of Officials Unrelated to Impeachment Trial

The Presidential Office on the 18th strongly refuted the claim made by Park Seon-won, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, that about half of the People Power Party officials (administrative officers) dispatched to the Yongsan Presidential Office returned to the party to prepare for an early presidential election.

A Presidential Office official stated, "Park's remarks are clearly fake news," adding, "The number of administrative officers dispatched from the People Power Party increased by two last year, and only two have returned."

According to the Presidential Office, the return of some administrative officers was a personnel measure for officials whose dispatch period (personnel exchange) had exceeded the usual term, and the decision on their return was made before the emergency martial law in December last year.

The official further expressed deep regret over the irresponsible remarks that spread false information and distorted the Presidential Office personnel matters, saying, "This personnel measure has nothing to do with the impeachment trial."

Earlier, Park stated on Facebook that morning, "After consultations between the ruling party leadership and Presidential Secretary Jeong Jin-seok last week, about half of the 20 administrative officers dispatched from the party to Yongsan returned to the party as of today (February 17)," adding, "It seems like the Yongsan office is entering the process of winding down."

He continued, "According to a reliable source, if this is true, it means that the Constitutional Court's impeachment will be accepted, the Yongsan Presidential Office will close up and go out of business, while the People Power Party will begin preparations for the presidential election. Is it correct to understand it this way?"