Presidential Office Private Hiring Controversy: Yoon Aides and Kwon Seong-dong Vigorously Deny Private Hiring Allegations

Kang Seung-gyu, First Radio Appearance Among Staff
"Private Hiring Is a Frame... Presidential Office Hiring Is Patronage"
Kwon Seong-dong Apologizes Amid Controversy Expansion

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Ki-min Lee and Hyun-joo Lee] Kang Seung-gyu, Senior Secretary for Civil Society at the Presidential Office, appeared on a radio broadcast on the 20th, becoming the first member of the Presidential Office staff to do so, and actively defended against the controversy over private hiring by the Presidential Office, stating, "It is inappropriate to distort the facts and criticize the publicly hired secretaries as private hires." This came just one day after President Yoon Seok-yeol ordered, "Ministers should become star ministers, and staff should increase communication with the public."

Kwon Seong-dong, Acting Party Leader and Floor Leader of the People Power Party, expressed an apology on the same day regarding the spreading controversy over private hiring by the Presidential Office.

The fact that both the Presidential Office staff and the ruling party leader directly addressed the issue with explanations and apologies is interpreted as a sign of their determination not to leave the approval rating for government administration, which had fallen to the low 30% range, unattended any longer.

On the same day, Senior Secretary Kang appeared on MBC Radio and responded to the opposition and media's allegations of "private hiring" concerning the personnel composition of the Presidential Office, claiming, "Hiring at the Presidential Office is not an open recruitment system but a closed recruitment system, commonly known as the patronage system." The patronage system refers to the political practice where individuals or parties who gain power through elections dominate public offices.

He emphasized again, "The Presidential Office conducts closed recruitment but hires publicly after verification and evaluation of various qualifications and abilities," adding, "It is inappropriate to frame and report as if close associates or acquaintances were secretly hired." Regarding the fact that the father of Woo Mo, who was hired as a Grade 9 administrative officer at the Presidential Office, is a regional election commissioner who recommended him, Kang argued, "There is absolutely no conflict of interest in that the father is an election commissioner and Woo is participating in the election campaign."

Senior Secretary Kang’s radio appearance came after an order for comprehensive publicity. President Yoon emphasized on his way to work, "I have always said that an organization with star players is a successful organization." The fact that the recently controversial Grade 9 administrative officer belongs to the Social Affairs Secretariat, which Kang oversees, is also cited as a reason for his direct appearance.

Acting Leader Kwon sought to calm public opinion by directly apologizing for his remarks related to the Presidential Office’s "private hiring." On the same day, he posted on his Facebook, "I apologize for my recent remarks regarding the Presidential Office’s hiring. Especially, I apologize if I hurt the youth."

Earlier, Kwon had stated that the Grade 9 administrative officer was "a person I recommended," which drew criticism inside and outside the party due to comments such as "I pressured Assemblyman Jang Je-won," "I thought he would be placed at Grade 7 but he was placed at Grade 9," and "He receives slightly more than the minimum wage."

He admitted, "Although it was my responsibility to properly explain the so-called ‘private hiring’ controversy to the public first, the controversy grew due to my choice of words." However, he defended, "The special appointment of secretaries for elected officials is fundamentally different from the recruitment of general public officials."

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