[Exclusive] Allegations of Blue House Blacklist... Heads of National Research Institutes "Could Not Endure Pressure to Resign"

Three Heads of National Research Institutes Resign in a Month
"Pressure to Resign Citing the Chief Personnel Office"

On the 22nd, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun canceled his schedule and underwent a COVID-19 test after a staff member at the Prime Minister's Office tested positive for the novel coronavirus. The Prime Minister's test results are expected around 6 p.m. The photo shows the Prime Minister's Office at the Government Seoul Complex on the same day. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporters Jang Se-hee, Cho Sung-pil] Testimonies have emerged that the Economic, Social and Humanities Research Council under the Prime Minister's Office demanded the resignation letters from heads of government-funded research institutes with remaining terms shortly after the Moon Jae-in administration took office at the end of 2017.

A, who served as the head of a government-funded research institute under the Economic, Social and Humanities Research Council, said in a phone interview with Asia Economy on the 31st, "The Secretary-General of the Economic, Social and Humanities Research Council called and said that the Blue House had already decided to remove me," adding, "No matter how much I resist, I have no choice but to leave." At that time, A still had more than two years left in the term.

When A expressed reluctance to submit a resignation letter and asked, "Whose will is this?" the Secretary-General replied, "I am listening to the Personnel Chief's Office." The Secretary-General also explained that due to the board composition, government personnel outnumbered others by at least one, so no matter how much one resisted, it was structurally inevitable to leave.

A stated, "The heads of the Korea Development Institute (KDI), the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy, and the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs all submitted their resignations in December, and at the time, I thought it was strange." Their remaining terms were about 1 year and 11 months, 1 year and 6 months, and 6 months, respectively.

Another head of a government-funded research institute, B, also told Asia Economy, "I did not voluntarily submit my resignation," explaining the atmosphere at the time as "an unavoidable situation." B said that if a prosecution investigation is necessary, he would provide more detailed statements then.

C, a head of a government-funded research institute who voluntarily submitted a resignation letter, said that after the Moon administration took office, the word "deep-rooted evils" (jeokpae) was used, and pressure was applied for resignation to those appointed by the previous government. C explained, "It felt like a typhoon was coming from afar," adding, "The overall atmosphere at the time was about driving out the deep-rooted evils." In fact, about ten heads of government-funded research institutes left their posts without completing their terms shortly after the Moon administration took office.

Earlier in 2019, the Liberty Korea Party filed a complaint with the prosecution, alleging that resignation pressures were also applied to heads of various subordinate organizations including the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of Education, and Ministry of Science and ICT. As the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office accelerates the investigation into the Ministry of Industry's 'blacklist' allegations, a comprehensive investigation into other ministries is expected.

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