Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
PPP chief criticizes blunders by Yoon's aides to salvage weakening support
Then-Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, second from left, attends a Cabinet meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Sept. 12, 2023. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon
By Nam Hyun-woo
Ruling party calls for probe into envoy to Australia, presidential secretary's dismissal
The interim leader of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), Han Dong-hoon, finds himself in a standoff with President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding the appointment of Korea’s ambassador to Australia, Lee Jong-sup, who is under investigation on suspicions of influence peddling. Inappropriate comments made by a senior presidential secretary have also generated controversy.
The confrontation is perceived as an election tactic, seizing upon those issues as an opportunity to bolster the party's dwindling support ratings. With less than a month remaining before the April 10 general elections, the party apparently aims to rejuvenate its standing by criticizing controversies linked to the president.
Han told reporters Sunday evening that Lee, who left for Australia on March 10, should return home immediately to face investigators.
“I believe this is not an issue of partisan conflict that is annoying the general public,” Han said. “I believe the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) should summon Lee as soon as possible, and he should return home immediately.”
Ruling People Power Party interim leader Han Dong-hoon speaks during an election campaign committee meeting at the party's headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Lee, a former defense minister, is under investigation by the CIO regarding allegations of tampering with a Marine Corps inquiry into the death of a soldier named Chae Su-geun. Chae died during a search and rescue operation in July 2023.
After leaving the defense minister post in disgrace, Lee was appointed as the new envoy to Australia on March 4. This move has sparked criticism from the opposition, characterizing it as the president "evacuating a crime suspect." Seoul’s Ministry of Justice lifted his travel ban on March 8, and Lee left for Australia two days later.
Han also addressed remarks made by senior presidential secretary for civil and social affairs, Hwang Sang-moo. During a luncheon with reporters on Thursday, Hwang mentioned an incident in 1988 involving agents from the Korea Defense Intelligence Command (KDIC) attacking a reporter who had criticized the military. This comment was directed at broadcaster MBC, which has been critical of Yoon.
Although Hwang issued a public apology over the weekend for his remarks, the PPP leader reiterated his stance by saying, "I have previously stated that the senior secretary's comments were inappropriate ... I believe he must decide whether to retain his position."
Hwang Sang-moo, senior presidential secretary for civil and social affairs, speaks during a press conference at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Jan. 22. Yonhap
Han’s comments came as the ruling party suffered declining support ratings over the past week, especially in Seoul and the surrounding Gyeonggi Province. But the PPP appears to lack a solution to deal with the problem.
According to a Realmeter poll released on Monday, the PPP’s support rating stood at 37.9 percent, down 4 percentage points from a week earlier. The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) also suffered a 2.3-percentage-point drop during the same period, but maintained a lead with 40.8 percent.
In Seoul, the support rating for the PPP plummeted from 38.6 percent a week ago to 31 percent on Monday, and sank from 42.1 percent to 36.7 percent in Incheon and Gyeonggi. The poll was conducted on 1,000 voters from March 14 to 15.
Other members of the PPP, particularly several candidates participating in the elections, have also voiced criticism regarding these matters. Their aim is to distance themselves from the president and appeal to swing voters.
Kim Eun-hye, a PPP candidate for Seongnam in Gyeonggi Province and Yoon’s former senior secretary for public relations, wrote on her Facebook that the public demands the immediate return of the ambassador and the resignation of Hwang.
“Several candidates from the ruling party have been disqualified from their candidacy due to indiscreet remarks made in the past,” she wrote. “A senior secretary of the presidential office cannot be an exception. Hwang should step down from his post.”
Eight PPP candidates, including Ham Un-kyung of Seoul’s Mapo-B constituency, released a statement on Saturday, urging Lee to return promptly and cooperate with the CIO investigation.
However, both the ambassador and the presidential office are refuting those claims.
The ambassador told broadcaster KBS on Sunday that "if the CIO decides to summon me, I will return as soon as tomorrow," and characterized the criticism surrounding his appointment as a "political offensive and distortion" of the facts.
The presidential office also released a statement on Monday asserting that Lee’s appointment was "appropriate and just," emphasizing that it was made because "the CIO has never summoned Lee during the past six months."
“Lee said he will comply with the CIO's summons whenever it is issued, and the CIO also confirmed that it will call him for the next investigation. Also, not only the justice ministry but also the CIO approved Lee’s departure to Australia."
Members of journalists groups hold a press conference urging President Yoon Suk Yeol to dismiss his senior secretary for civil and social affairs, Hwang Sang-moo, in front of the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
In a separate statement, apparently addressing the controversy surrounding Hwang, the office also said, "the government has never investigated journalists or initiated tax probes on media companies, and it has no intention or mechanism to do so."
PPP Secretary-General Rep. Jang Dong-hyeok told reporters Monday that the party's stance on the cases of Lee and Hwang is "not a conflict between the PPP and the presidential office." However, he added, "The party is attuned to the public sentiment on the frontline, so the (PPP interim leader's) comments were reflective of the current public sentiment regarding the issues."
The Realmeter poll surveyed 1,000 voters from March 14 to 15 at the request of Energy Economy Newspaper. Further details are available on the National Election Survey Deliberation Commission’s website.