Filled with former prosecutors, the Chief Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs... Focus on managing public and prosecutorial sentiment

Passed Planning and Strengthened Public Opinion Listening Function through 'Communication Skills'
Challenges Ahead in Preparing for 'Special Prosecutor Political Situation' Amidst a Divided National Assembly

The implication of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's first appointment of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs is that the center of gravity for state affairs management may shift toward the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs over the next three years. Historically, the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs was a key position overseeing investigative agencies such as the prosecution, police, and Board of Audit and Inspection, and could influence prosecution investigations and personnel matters through the Minister of Justice, earning the nickname "King Secretary."

[Image source=Beopryul Newspaper]

Some express concerns that appointing Kim Joo-hyun, a personnel veteran who served as the head and director of the prosecution division in the Ministry of Justice, as well as former Prosecutor General and Acting Minister of Justice, to this position might indicate an intention to strengthen control over investigative affairs through prosecution personnel management.

‘Communication-Oriented Planner’ Appointed as Senior Secretary and Secretary for Civil Affairs

The common traits of Kim Joo-hyun, the newly appointed Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, and Lee Dong-ok, the Secretary for Civil Affairs, who recently joined the Presidential Office, can be summarized as "planning expertise" and "communication skills." Both have served as spokespersons for the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, respectively. Their backgrounds align with the Presidential Office’s explanation that the revival of the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs was established solely for the people in response to concerns about insufficient public sentiment listening functions.

Kim, regarded as a leading planner within the prosecution, held several positions related to President Yoon’s career during his time as a prosecutor. In 2014, while serving as Director of the Prosecution Bureau overseeing personnel, he was involved in the demotion of President Yoon, who was then the head of the investigation team for the National Intelligence Service election interference case, to the Daegu High Prosecutors' Office?a bitter episode. In 2017, while acting as Deputy Prosecutor General and Acting Prosecutor General, Kim resigned shortly after President Yoon was appointed as the new head of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office. Although this was seen as taking responsibility for the so-called "cash envelope incident," it was also interpreted as related to senior officials with higher ranks than President Yoon, who was a candidate for the next Prosecutor General, making consecutive decisions.

Lee Dong-ok, the only non-prosecution official secretary in the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs, is a representative planner who passed the administrative examination and built his career mainly at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety after working at the Chungcheongbuk-do Provincial Government. He has held positions such as head of the Planning Team and the Local Tax Team at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, as well as Director of Government Innovation and Director of Local Finance, earning a reputation for excellence in organizational management and communication.

There is high expectation that the two, with their extensive experience in organizational personnel and finance, will be advantageous in managing public sentiment information. However, inside and outside the prosecution, there are talks that Kim will effectively have significant influence over prosecution personnel matters. The opposition links the revival of the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs to strengthening investigative functions through control of the prosecution and police. In response, President Yoon stated, "Although it is called public sentiment information, since it ultimately involves collecting and handling information, departments handling information in any country, including ours, are led by legal professionals to ensure operations within the framework of the rule of law."

‘Special Prosecutor Political Climate’ for Three Years... Can Investigative Distance Be Maintained?

The revived Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs faces the challenge of preparing for a special prosecutor political climate amid a National Assembly dominated by the opposition, including the "Chae Sang-byeong Special Prosecutor" and the "Kim Geon-hee Special Prosecutor" cases.

The Democratic Party is pressuring the Presidential Office daily, stating they will reintroduce the special prosecutor law for Kim Geon-hee in the 22nd National Assembly. The party has hinted at possibly adding allegations related to Kim’s receipt of luxury handbags and preferential treatment concerning the Seoul-Yangpyeong highway in the new special prosecutor bill.

The investigation into Kim’s luxury handbag receipt allegations is also gaining momentum. Unlike the Deutsche Motors stock manipulation case, where the Prosecutor General’s investigative authority was excluded, Lee Won-seok (age 55, 27th class), the Prosecutor General, is reportedly receiving frequent reports and directing the investigation in this case. Consequently, there is a possibility that Kim may appear before the prosecution for questioning.

A senior lawyer who formerly held a high-ranking position at the Ministry of Justice said, "President Yoon led investigations that resulted in guilty verdicts, including the cover-up of the Blue House special inspection team under former Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs Cho Kuk during the Moon Jae-in administration and the illegal surveillance allegations against former Senior Secretary Woo Byung-woo during the Park Geun-hye administration," adding, "Care must be taken so that the difficult-to-implement revival of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs is not misunderstood as the 'law firm-ization of Yongsan.'"

Im Hyun-kyung, Woo Bin, Legal News Reporters

※This article is based on content supplied by Law Times.

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