Doorstepping Ended in Record 34 Seconds... Yoon Dodges Questions Amid 'Private Hiring' Controversy

Yoon Turns Away from Additional Questions, Responds to Defector Fishermen Controversy with "No Further Comments Beyond Principle"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Baek Kyunghwan and Lee Gimin] President Yoon Seok-yeol avoided responding to the controversy over 'private hiring' at the presidential office. Amid ongoing hiring controversies involving the personnel secretary’s spouse accompanying him to Spain, a former employee of Kobana Contents, maternal relatives, and the sister of a far-right YouTuber, the president appeared to express discomfort.

On the morning of the 18th, as President Yoon arrived at the Yongsan presidential office and was asked by reporters about the successive hiring controversies, he deflected by saying, "Don’t you have any other questions?" When further asked if he would not comment on the hiring issue, he did not respond and turned his back. That day, President Yoon’s door-stepping lasted only 34 seconds, the shortest since his inauguration. It was also the first time he answered only one question before leaving. Regarding the controversy over the repatriation of North Korean fishermen, President Yoon stated only that "it must proceed according to the Constitution and laws," offering no further comment.

Within the presidential office and political circles, it is interpreted that President Yoon showed signs of discomfort not only with the media’s excessive attention to the private hiring controversy but also with the awkward responses within the ruling party. Jang Je-won, a member of the People Power Party and known as an original close aide to Yoon, posted on Facebook that morning regarding the '9th-grade private hiring' controversy at the presidential office, "I, who was responsible for personnel at the time, feel I must speak about Representative Kwon Seong-dong’s remarks related to the presidential office personnel." He criticized, "No matter how correct the explanation is, harsh expressions such as 'pressure was applied,' 'how can you live in Seoul on minimum wage, you country bumpkin from Gangneung,' and so on should be avoided."

Fortunately, Representative Kwon accepted Jang’s public criticism humbly, stating, "I accept it humbly," and added, "I believe party members can offer candid criticism to the acting party leader and floor leader," thus avoiding further controversy. Earlier, Representative Kwon had mentioned regarding the private hiring controversy of Woo Mo, an administrative officer who is the son of a friend of President Yoon from Gangneung, that he recommended the person and "applied pressure to Representative Jang, but the position was downgraded from grade 7 to grade 9."

However, the Democratic Party of Korea is showing signs of trying to link the 'North Korean fishermen repatriation controversy' with the 'presidential office private hiring controversy,' meaning the presidential office will need to respond to both issues for the time being. In particular, the conflict between the presidential office and the opposition over the fishermen repatriation issue is expected to deepen. Jeong Eui-yong, former National Security Office chief under the Moon Jae-in administration, released a statement the day before labeling the fishermen as "a monstrous, bizarre murderer" and asserting that "there was no intention to defect to South Korea from the start." In an unusual move, the presidential office’s chief spokesperson Choi Young-beom stated, "What the opposition and former government officials should do is not political attacks but sincerely cooperate with investigations to reveal the truth, responding to the public’s demand."

Since this could be seen as suggesting the direction of the prosecution’s investigation, no further statements from President Yoon are expected. The biggest variable is the prosecution’s actions. Because claims differ on whether the North Korean fishermen intended to defect and whether proper procedures were followed, this must be clarified. Previously, the National Intelligence Service forcibly ended a joint government investigation early and fabricated false official documents, leading to the indictment of former NIS chief Suh Hoon. Additionally, travel bans were imposed on former director Park Ji-won, and notification measures were taken for former director Suh, who is currently in the United States. As a result, Park’s departure is restricted, and Suh, who remains in the U.S., will be reported to the prosecution upon his return.

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