Lee Jong-seop's Voluntary Return and Hwang Sang-moo's Resignation Swiftly Accepted... Resolution of Party-Government Conflict

Presidential Office "Ambassador Lee Jong-seop to Voluntarily Return Soon"
Han Dong-hoon "Will Respond Earnestly to Public Sentiment"

Ambassador Lee Jong-seop to Australia, who was under investigation for alleged external pressure in the case of the death of Marine Corporal Chae, has expressed his intention to voluntarily return to Korea. Prior to this, Hwang Sang-mu, the Senior Secretary for Civil Society at the Presidential Office, who had sparked controversy with his so-called 'journalist knife attack' remarks, also voluntarily resigned, creating an atmosphere of full resolution of conflicts between the ruling party and the government.

The Presidential Office announced on the 20th that Ambassador Lee would soon return voluntarily. It is known that the ambassador will enter the country soon due to scheduled diplomatic and security-related meetings. This marks a step back from the previous stance that "it is highly inappropriate for the head of an overseas diplomatic mission to enter the country and remain idle without being summoned by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO)."

Lee Jong-seop, Ambassador to Australia. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

The Presidential Office had earlier promptly accepted Hwang’s resignation. This came six days after it became known that Hwang mentioned the 1980s journalist knife attack incident and suspicions surrounding the May 18 Democratic Movement during a luncheon with reporters covering the Presidential Office, including MBC journalists, sparking controversy. Public opinion worsened as the controversy over Ambassador Lee Jong-seop’s appointment, who was under investigation for alleged external pressure in the Marine Corporal Chae death case, overlapped, and with signs of escalating into a conflict between the ruling party and the government, the Presidential Office moved to resolve the issue.

Within the party, although considered somewhat late, there is a sense of relief that the measures taken meet the public’s expectations. Na Kyung-won, co-chair of the joint election campaign committee, said regarding the acceptance of Hwang’s resignation, "It is at least fortunate," and before the announcement of Ambassador Lee’s voluntary return, she expressed hope that "the Presidential Office will communicate more closely with public sentiment regarding the Lee Jong-seop matter." Kim Byung-min, former Supreme Council member of the People Power Party running in Seoul Gwangjin-gap, said on YTN Radio, "If anyone holding public office betrays the trust of the people, a decision that meets the public’s expectations is necessary."

Han Dong-hoon, emergency response committee member of the People Power Party, emphasized at a campaign rally in Anyang, Gyeonggi Province, that "we must respond more sensitively and responsibly to public sentiment in the metropolitan area." He said, "When there were criticisms from the public about past remarks that did not meet the public’s expectations, we decisively resolved and replaced those involved," adding, "Senior Secretary Hwang Sang-mu resigned today, and Ambassador Lee Jong-seop will return soon. With about 20 days left until the general election, we will respond earnestly to public sentiment."

Handonghun, the General Election Committee Chairman of the People Power Party, is speaking at the on-site Election Countermeasures Committee held at the main auditorium of Anyang Nambu Saemaeul Geumgo on the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The list of proportional representation candidates for the People Power Party’s satellite party, People’s Future, which became controversial due to a problem raised by Lee Cheol-gyu, head of the party’s talent recruitment committee, is also expected to undergo some adjustments. Following the cancellation of the nomination of Lee Si-woo, former secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister’s Public Relations Office, one or two candidates who were on the proportional representation list are expected to have their nominations canceled in the form of voluntary withdrawal.

The vacant spots are likely to be filled by figures from the Honam region, considering the backlash from Honam faction members. Former Jeonnam Provincial Party Chairman Kim Hwa-jin and Gwangju City Party Chairman Joo Ki-hwan, who were ranked 22nd and 24th on the proportional list respectively, have been pushed out of the ranking, and no candidates from Jeonbuk are included on the list, causing an uproar among the Honam faction. Jo Bae-sook, former Jeonbuk Provincial Party Chairwoman who applied for proportional representation nomination, appeared on CBS Radio and said, "According to party rules, since Honam is too weak, five candidates must be assigned within the top 20 on the proportional list," adding, "At least one person from Jeonbuk, Gwangju, and Jeonnam must be included." Jang Dong-hyuk, secretary-general of the People Power Party, stated that regarding adjustments to the proportional representation candidate list, they are considering utilizing lower-ranked proportional candidates and applicants.

However, opinions differ between the party leadership and Honam faction members regarding candidates from Honam or politicians active in the Honam region, so the outcome remains to be seen. For example, Kang Sun-young, former Army Aviation Operations Command Commander (ranked 5th), In Yo-han, former Innovation Committee Chairman (ranked 8th), and Han Ji-a, emergency response committee member (ranked 11th), are from Honam but have not been active there.

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