Controversy Over Yoon Inauguration Invitation List Destruction... Lee Sang-min Apologizes for Staff's Miscommunication

Police Director Kim Sun-ho's Position: "Listening to Various Opinions" Reiterated

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min revealed that the procedure to transfer part of the guest list for President Yoon Seok-yeol's inauguration ceremony to the National Archives is underway.

On the 29th, Minister Lee appeared at the plenary meeting of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee and stated, "We received the inauguration ceremony guest list via official documents and the internet, and there are still lists received through official documents," but added, "The lists received via the internet contained personal information and were destroyed immediately after the inauguration."

Regarding the initial explanatory materials released by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the complete destruction was attributed to the responsibility of the staff. Minister Lee said, "It seems the staff made a mistake," and added, "Only part of the guest lists from past presidential inaugurations are preserved at the National Archives. We should have explained this clearly from the beginning to avoid misunderstandings."

The Ministry explained that, prior to the submission request from Democratic Party lawmaker Go Min-jung, the attendance list was deleted on May 10, after the inauguration ceremony, and the materials remaining in the office of the inauguration event's working group were destroyed on the 13th.

Regarding the opposition party's demand for the replacement of Kim Soon-ho, Director of the Police Bureau at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Minister Lee reiterated, "We are listening to various opinions." Director Kim is under suspicion of being a so-called 'miljeong' (secret informant), accused of having been specially recruited by the police after handing over colleagues to the government while active in the Incheon-Bucheon Democratic Workers' Association over 30 years ago.

In response to criticism that the Police Bureau was established by a Ministry of the Interior and Safety ordinance to circumvent the law and is therefore illegal, Minister Lee countered that it should be established by a Presidential Decree. When asked, "If the court rules that creating it by Presidential Decree was wrong, wouldn't the president be subject to impeachment?" he replied, "That is something I will take responsibility for."

Meanwhile, regarding the proposal to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, he said it is expected to be included in the government organization law reform plan and that it is understood to be submitted within the current regular session of the National Assembly.

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