Bong Wook, Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs:
"We are diligently conducting personnel verification...
We will examine the process thoroughly"
The Office of the President announced that it is making procedural improvements to ensure rigorous vetting, in response to concerns raised about the personnel verification system during the appointments of Kang Sunwoo, former candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Lee Jinsook, former candidate for Minister of Education, and Kang Junwook, former Secretary for National Integration at the Presidential Office.
On July 24, Kang Yoojung, spokesperson for the Office of the President, stated during a briefing, "We are conducting discussions to secure fairness in personnel appointments." Kang added, "Appointments at the Office of the President are being carried out through appropriate procedures in accordance with the law, and the Personnel Committee, chaired by the Chief of Staff to the President, is currently in operation."
The spokesperson also said that feedback and criticisms raised during the appointment process would be actively accepted and reflected. Kang stated, "Although appointments have been made through appropriate procedures based on established standards, if there were aspects that did not meet public expectations, we have decided to actively accept them and enhance procedural completeness." She continued, "For positions such as secretaries, we did not previously review every book or expression in an appointee’s publications, but now we plan to expand our review to include such aspects as well."
Regarding the composition of the Personnel Committee, Kang explained, "I understand that it is not to be disclosed. It was also undisclosed under the previous administration." She added, "However, all operational regulations are in place, and the committee is being operated lawfully, taking these factors into consideration."
Additionally, Bong Wook, Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, responded to a question during the briefing about whether there are specific plans to improve the verification process, stating, "It is difficult to provide an immediate answer," but added, "Those responsible for personnel verification are carrying out their duties diligently. We will continue to examine the process thoroughly and do our best."
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