Presidential office denies a nepotistic appointment

Politics

Published: 07 Jul. 2022, 18:05

Presidential office denies a nepotistic appointment

President Yoon Suk-yeol and first lady Kim Keon-hee take a stroll in a park in Madrid near their hotel on June 28 during a five-day trip to Spain for a NATO summit. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

The presidential office shot down allegations of nepotism after a media report revealed that a relative of President Yoon Suk-yeol was hired as a senior administrative official, stressing there had been no conflict of interest.

On Wednesday evening, broadcaster KBS reported that a man surnamed Choi, a relative of Yoon's on his mother's side, is serving in the office of the private secretary to the president.

Choi's job reportedly includes assisting with the first lady's schedule while leading a team in charge of the new presidential residence.

Choi and Yoon are third cousins. The KBS reporter visited Choi's family in Gangneung and confirmed that Choi's father and Yoon's mother are second cousins. While technically distant relatives, Choi reportedly is like a younger brother to Yoon with access to the president's home, according to KBS.

In a speedy response to the report, the presidential office in a statement Wednesday night acknowledged that the "senior administrative official" was a third cousin of Yoon's but added, "The relationship had nothing to do with the appointment to the presidential office."

The office also denied that Choi is leading a de facto office for the first lady and said he has been "performing various tasks for the presidential office since the inauguration."

A presidential official told reporters Thursday that allegations that Choi got the job through connections are "clearly false information."

Choi was involved in Yoon's primary campaign for the presidency, according to the official, and "has been the closest aide to the president and is still fulfilling that role to this day."

The official stressed there is "there is no conflict at all" according to the Act on the Prevention of Conflict of Interest, which only restricts the hiring of close relatives, such as a spouse, siblings, children or in-laws living under the same roof. He added that it would be "more discriminatory" to exclude a competent individual from a job because he is a distant relative.

Choi reportedly worked for a large conglomerate and then took charge of accounting when Yoon ran for the People Power Party presidential nomination. He later served on Yoon's transition committee.

The official added that reports suggesting some secret connection between Choi and the president was "malicious reporting," noting that Choi was simply doing his duties.

The public has been sensitive to hidden connections between outsiders and elected officials since the influence-peddling scandal surrounding former President Park Geun-hye and her confidante Choi Soon-sil in 2016. That led to Park's impeachment, removal from office and jailing.

The official reiterated that the president doesn't have any plans to reestablish an office to handle affairs for the first lady, acknowledging hiccups related to the handling of Kim Keon-hee's official activities.

Kim has made headlines for decisions that suggest she needs an office to plan her affairs.

Earlier this week, the media reported that a longtime acquaintance surnamed Shin accompanied the first couple on their trip to Madrid for a NATO summit last week, supposedly helping Kim with her schedule.

The presidential office on Wednesday denied that Shin played any role in aiding Kim in her activities in Spain and "arranged the overall schedule" for the NATO trip based on her experience living overseas and coordinating international events. Shin was confirmed to be the wife of presidential secretary of personnel affairs Lee Won-mo, but joined the trip in the category of "other staff," which usually applies to special hires such as physicians or interpreters.

The office's explanation led to further questions on why an outsider would have such intimate access to the president's schedule, a matter of top security. Shin didn't receive pay for her work as a "volunteer" but rode on the presidential jet and stayed in the same accommodation as the presidential entourage for free.

In keeping with a campaign pledge, Yoon scrapped the office that would have been responsible for handling the first lady's schedule. Last December, Kim issued a public apology over allegations she falsified career credentials on her resume when applying for university jobs.

The presidential office confirmed last month that two presidential staff that accompanied the first lady on a visit to Bongha Village previously worked for Covana Contents, the art exhibit planning company founded and run by Kim.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]