Park Sooyoung Proposes Disclosure of High-Ranking Officials' Personal Information
People Power Party: "We Will Demand Kim Hyunji's Attendance at the Audit Regardless of Her Position Change"
The People Power Party is moving forward with the so-called 'Kim Hyunji Prevention Act,' which would require the disclosure of basic personal information of high-ranking public officials. Ahead of the upcoming National Assembly audit, President Lee Jaemyung reassigned Kim Hyunji, the presidential secretary for general affairs, to the position of first secretary to the president. The party criticized this move as a ploy to avoid the audit and stated that they would still demand her attendance, regardless of her new position.
On September 30, Park Sooyoung, a member of the People Power Party, is scheduled to sponsor the 'Kim Hyunji Prevention Act' (an amendment to the Public Officials Ethics Act). The process of joint sponsorship is currently underway, and the bill will be submitted once all requirements are met.
The current law requires public officials and candidates for public office to disclose their registered assets and explain how those assets were acquired, in order to uphold public officials' ethics. As a result, high-ranking officials such as the president, prime minister, cabinet members, and members of the National Assembly are required to disclose their assets. This also includes senior staff at the presidential office, such as chiefs of staff, senior secretaries, and secretaries.
However, staff members at the presidential office, unlike other high-ranking officials, are not subject to personnel hearings. This has led to criticism that, despite being key policy decision-makers at the highest level of government, there is no opportunity to vet them.
The proposed amendment aims to guarantee the public’s right to know by requiring the disclosure of basic personal information of high-ranking public officials. It would make it mandatory to report basic personal details such as age, place of birth, educational background, and work experience. Failure to comply could result in a fine of up to 10 million won. Public officials at grade 4 or above, who are required to report their assets, would also be required to register their personal information, while those at grade 1 or above, whose asset information is made public, would be required to disclose their personal information as well.
This bill specifically targets Kim Hyunji, who was reassigned from presidential secretary for general affairs to first secretary to the president the previous day. Kim is known as one of President Lee Jaemyung’s closest aides and is often referred to as a 'shadow power,' but details such as her educational background and age remain undisclosed.
The controversy intensified as the recent personnel change was criticized as an attempt to avoid appearing at the National Assembly audit. Park stated, "We must prevent situations like that of Secretary Kim Hyunji, who is attempting to refuse to attend the audit to avoid disclosing personal information, from happening in the future."
The People Power Party, the Reform Party, and other opposition parties have criticized the presidential office’s personnel decisions as 'protecting close aides.' This is because the personnel change occurred amid demands for Kim’s attendance at the audit and the Democratic Party’s refusal. The presidential secretary for general affairs, who is responsible for personnel and budget matters at the presidential office, has attended the audit every year.
The ruling and opposition parties are expected to continue their dispute over whether Kim should appear as a witness at the audit. Kwak Gyutaek, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party’s parliamentary group, told reporters, "If someone needs to be hidden to the extent that they avoid the audit in such an extraordinary way, there is all the more reason to summon them." He added, "Even if her position has changed, she previously served as secretary for general affairs, so we will strongly demand her attendance as a witness." However, the presidential office stated, "If the National Assembly decides, she will attend."
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