Cheong postpones Shin Hyun-soo's position announcement to afternoon... revealing signs of 'deep consideration'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] Although Shin Hyun-soo, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs at the Blue House, returned from vacation on the 22nd, the Blue House did not disclose his status by the morning of the same day. It appears that the Blue House is either still trying to persuade Senior Secretary Shin to stay or has decided on his status but is deliberating on the timing and method of the announcement. The prevailing view is that Senior Secretary Shin has decided to resign and will notify the Blue House on that day. The Blue House now faces another dilemma regarding whether to choose a successor from the prosecution or non-prosecution side.

The Blue House had planned to hold a briefing regarding Senior Secretary Shin’s status that morning but postponed it to the afternoon without any explanation. This has led to speculation that despite having taken time to reflect, Senior Secretary Shin has not reversed his intention to resign.

During his vacation, Senior Secretary Shin sent text messages to acquaintances stating, “I have already lost momentum. I will never meet Minister Park Beom-gye again.” This is interpreted as him feeling a great sense of helplessness upon seeing the prosecution personnel reshuffle, which had been coordinated with the Ministry of Justice, announced as is.

Nevertheless, the Blue House’s decision not to finalize his resignation that day suggests there may still be room for persuasion until the last moment or that the Blue House is considering the timing and manner of the announcement. Since he is a close aide to President Moon Jae-in, it is necessary to carefully craft the message so that his resignation does not tarnish the president’s image.

Senior Secretary Shin’s expression of intent to resign is seen as an extension of the conflict last year between Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae and Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl. There are concerns that if this issue is not resolved cleanly, it could signal the beginning of President Moon’s lame-duck period. While continuing to persuade Senior Secretary Shin, the Blue House is also searching for a successor. Candidates who were mentioned alongside Senior Secretary Shin at the time of his appointment, such as former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Oh-soo and former Defense Acquisition Program Administration head Wang Jeong-hong, are being considered. There is significant concern regarding the successor to Senior Secretary Shin, who was the current administration’s first Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs from the prosecution. Moreover, if a prosecution figure is chosen, there is a possibility of a “Shin Hyun-soo Season 2,” while returning to the previous non-prosecution Senior Secretary policy could risk a recurrence of the Choo-Yoon conflict, making it difficult to easily select any option.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.