New gov't scrambles to fill empty presidential office, DP slams previous administration for sabotaging transition

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New gov't scrambles to fill empty presidential office, DP slams previous administration for sabotaging transition

Published: 05 Jun. 2025, 14:25 Updated: 05 Jun. 2025, 16:44

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

President Lee Jae-myung speaks during his first cabinet meeting held on June 5 at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

The new president is set on filling the void left by the former president — quite literally — after the latter apparently left his office completely empty and unusable for his successor.

Following a direct order from President Lee Jae-myung, nearly all civil servants seconded to the presidential office will return to their posts on Thursday, except 12 individuals.

According to a presidential office official, Lee on Wednesday issued a directive for all 189 seconded officials — 14 senior-level and 175 junior-level — to report back to the presidential office.

Of those, 10 said they could not return due to ministry-level constraints, while two others said they would return on Friday. As a result, 177 officials are expected to resume duties on Thursday, with two more joining a day later.

It is common practice for ministries to dispatch civil servants to the presidential office, where they typically serve as administrative officials. Under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, several officials were seconded in this way.

After Yoon was officially removed from office on April 4, some returned to their respective ministries. Others, including those serving under then-acting president Han Duck-soo and former Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Choi Sang-mok, remained in place until the June 3 presidential election, after which they too were returned to their original positions.

Former President Yoon Suk-yeol and his wife Kim Keon Hee arrive at the polling station at Wonmyong Elementary School in Seocho District, southern Seoul, on Tuesday morning to cast their ballots in the 21st presidential election. [JOONGANG ILBO]

The order for immediate reinstatement was prompted by the operational challenges facing the new administration.

“I arrived at the Yongsan office and it felt like a tomb,” President Lee said on Wednesday while announcing his first appointments. “There’s no one here. Not even a staffer to hand me a pen. No computers, no printers — it’s absurd.”

Lee added that it appeared career civil servants had been sent back under the previous administration, and said he would issue an order for all to return immediately.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung echoed the sentiment. “On the first day of the new administration, the situation was such that physical work was impossible," he said. "Not only was there no handover, there wasn’t even paper or a pencil left on the desks.”

Democratic Party (DP) floor leader and interim leader Park Chan-dae also denounced the previous administration for allegedly sabotaging the presidential transition.

Democratic Party floor leader and interim leader Park Chan-dae speaks at a meeting held at the National Assembly in western Seoul on June 5. [NEWS1]

“The previous administration left not a single staffer to facilitate the transition, turning the presidential office into a tomb — devoid of computers, printers or even pens,” Park said during a supreme council meeting at the National Assembly. “The DP will not turn a blind eye. We will hold those who issued such orders fully accountable.”

Park claimed that staffers for the new administration had arrived at the Yongsan presidential office early on Wednesday morning to begin the transition, only to wait in vain in an auditorium for half the day.

“This conduct clearly obstructed the launch of the new administration, which had to begin duties immediately without a presidential transition committee,” he said.

He also reiterated the party’s earlier warnings. "We warned during a May 19 campaign committee meeting against destroying documents and returning public officials before June 4 — creating a ‘hollow shell’ of a presidential office," he said. "These actions constitute a criminal offense, and we will ensure accountability.”

President Lee Jae-myung speaks during his first cabinet meeting held on June 5 at the presidential office in Yongsan, central Seoul. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

Park also told public servants that this was "a golden time to overcome the previous administration's failures" and that all public officials should "come together and actively cooperate for the sake of national recovery.”

He emphasized that the DP, now the ruling party, shares responsibility for state affairs.

“As a governing partner of the Lee Jae-myung administration, we carry a profound sense of duty. We will support the government by passing reform bills and economic stimulus measures.”

Park also reaffirmed the party’s intention to pass a set of key bills during Thursday’s National Assembly plenary session, including special prosecutor bills related to alleged insurrection by the previous administration, former first lady Kim Keon Hee and disciplinary measures for prosecutors.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY YOON SUNG-MIN, JEONG JAE-HONG [[email protected]]