Outgoing ACRC chairperson vows to continue fighting for the people

Politics

Published: 26 Jun. 2023, 17:53 Updated: 26 Jun. 2023, 19:10

Outgoing ACRC chairperson vows to continue fighting for the people

Jeon Hyun-heui, the outgoing head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, speaks with the press at the central government complex in Seoul on Monday, a day before the end of her three-year term. [YONHAP]

Jeon Hyun-heui, the outgoing head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), voiced her concerns that the current Yoon Suk Yeol administration is increasingly turning into “a government by and for those with power.”

“The president always emphasizes fairness and the use of common sense, and the ruling party stresses the importance of representing the power of the people, but many citizens are in fact concerned that the Republic of Korea is becoming a government by and for those with power,” said Jeon in a press conference hosted at the central government complex in Seoul on Monday, a day before the conclusion of her three-year term.

Jeon was appointed during the former Moon Jae-in administration.

The ACRC has been butting heads with the national election watchdog, the National Election Commission (NEC), in recent weeks. Warning of launching an all-out investigation into the NEC by the end of this month, the ACRC called on the NEC to fully comply with its investigation into the NEC’s nepotistic hiring scandal.

Several children of former and current NEC senior officials stand accused of securing jobs through their fathers' influence, including the daughters of former NEC Secretary General Park Chan-jin and Deputy Secretary General Song Bong-seop. Both Park and Song resigned over the allegations in late May.

The Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) began to inspect the NEC, which it thwarted initially, citing checks and balances granted to it constitutionally as an independent agency. Amid mounting public pressure, the NEC changed its stance and initially accepted a BAI audit. The NEC, however, refused to submit to investigations by the ACRC and also insisted that it would only accept the BAI's inspection regarding the nepotistic hiring allegations while refusing an audit of its overall activities.

Jeon in her farewell address on Monday also mentioned the ACRC's issues with the BAI.

Jeon had reported the chief of the BAI, Choi Jae-hae, to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, an agency set up during the former Moon administration, to conduct independent probes into high-ranking officials.

The BAI had made public its inspection results on the ACRC and Jeon earlier in the month. Jeon claims BAI did this without following due process, such as having the BAI committee vote on whether to publicize its inspection results on the ACRC.

“We need to take a stance here, that public officials destroying the public system for personal gain can no longer be tolerated in Korea,” Jeon said. “We will ensure the party responsible for the offense faces legal consequences.”

Jeon also mentioned Han Sang-hyuk, the Korea Communications Commission chairman who was dismissed from his post recently.

“Since the inauguration of the current administration, the chairman of the Korea Communications Commission and I have been excluded from the list of relevant bureau and agency chiefs in scheduling our presidential reports,” she said. “Both of us have been inspected by the BAI and I have to say, I felt a sense of fellowship with Han, as we were in the same boat, facing pressure to resign.”

Han was indicted on charges of manipulating conservative cable channel TV Chosun's score as it renewed its broadcasting license in 2020. President Yoon Suk Yeol approved Han’s dismissal, Han in turn filed an injunction in protest of the dismissal order, and the court dismissed his injunction last week.

Jeon added she will continue to work to oppose the Japanese plan to release its treated nuclear wastewater into the sea. “I will leave the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, but I hope to continue to support the work to discourage the plan to release the contaminated nuclear water,” she said.

Jeon and Han were the last remaining ministerial-level appointees of the former government.

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]