Control of Intelligence Agencies VS Strengthening Communication... Ruling and Opposition Parties Divided on 'Minjeong Chief'

"How Does Maintaining Prosecution Control Relate to Public Welfare?"
"Established Amid Concerns Over Lack of Public Opinion Listening Function"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon Suk-yeol reinstated the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, which had been abolished by the previous administration, and appointed former Deputy Minister of Justice Kim Joo-hyun as the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs. The political circles showed mixed reactions to Kim's appointment, with some viewing it as a move to strengthen communication and others as a means to control investigative agencies.

Choi Min-seok, spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference at the National Assembly Communication Office on the 7th, stating, "Is President Yoon saying he cannot let go of prosecutorial power until the very end?" He criticized, "The presidential office claims this appointment is to listen to public sentiment, but public sentiment is just an excuse. What does maintaining control over the prosecution have to do with the struggling livelihoods of the people?"

Choi added, "The Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs has been used to control investigative agencies such as the prosecution and police, thereby strengthening a centralized presidential system, and it will be used in the same way this time." He continued, "During his transition period, President Yoon himself admitted that in the past, the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, which controlled investigative agencies, often disguised itself as conducting background checks to control political opponents and opposition forces."

He further emphasized, "Moreover, Senior Secretary Kim served as Deputy Minister of Justice under the Park Geun-hye administration and was a key figure alongside Woo Byung-woo in controlling investigative agencies. This can only be seen as President Yoon's intention to strengthen his weakening control over investigative agencies following the general election defeat."

On the other hand, Jeong Hee-yong, chief spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement that "the sole focus of reinstating the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs is communication." He added, "It was established solely for the people after hearing various concerns about the lack of functions to listen to public sentiment." He also noted, "During the recent meeting between President Yoon and Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung, they agreed on the limitations of listening to public sentiment and mentioned the necessity of the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, so this decision was made after careful consideration." He stressed, "The office will swiftly gather public opinion on state affairs from the policy field and devote all efforts to preparing policies that the public can feel and benefit from."

In response to criticisms that the office is for "controlling investigative agencies and defending special prosecutors," President Yoon said, "It is established for the people." He explained, "Since it involves collecting and handling information, departments handling information in South Korea and around the world are always led by legal professionals to ensure operations are conducted within the framework of the rule of law." He added, "Therefore, I believe that in past administrations, most Senior Secretaries for Civil Affairs have been legal professionals, mostly former prosecutors."

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