Rival parties clash over controversy surrounding Lee's personal secretary
Kim In-ho, minister of the Korea Forest Service, submits his oath during a parliamentary audit at the National Assembly in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap
Rival parties continued to clash over whether to summon a close aide and personal secretary of President Lee Jae Myung as a witness during a parliamentary audit session Monday.
Kim Hyun-ji, a long-time aide of the president who was appointed as Lee's personal secretary last month, has been at the center of political strife in recent weeks, with the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) accusing Kim of overstepping her authority as a "shadowy" confidant and refusing to appear before the National Assembly.
During an audit session of the Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee earlier in the day, PPP lawmakers reiterated their demand to summon Kim, claiming that Kim In-ho, minister of the Korea Forest Service, was appointed to the post using his past ties with the secretary.
"It is becoming widely accepted as a fact that secretary Kim is the power behind the Lee Jae Myung administration," PPP Rep. Kang Myoung-gu said.
Lawmakers of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) criticized the PPP for attempting to turn the audit into a political fight by repetitively demanding Kim Hyun-ji's appearance.
"By that logic, we could also argue that people with ties to former President Yoon Suk Yeol or those who served in his presidential campaign received preferential treatment in appointments," DPK Rep. Mun Geum-ju said, calling on the PPP to stop such "futile" political wrangling.
Kim's appointment sparked speculation that the reassignment could shield her from being summoned to this month's parliamentary audit as personal secretaries are typically exempt from such sessions. The presidential office has denied such claims, saying the reshuffle was unrelated to the parliamentary audit.
Adding to the controversy, PPP Rep. Park Jeong-hun claimed Monday that Kim reportedly changed her mobile phone on Oct. 13, the first day of the parliamentary audit, saying the move raises suspicions that she may have attempted to destroy evidence.