Lee approves resignation of anti-corruption agency chief
Ryu Chul-whan, chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, speaks during a policy briefing to President Lee Jae Myung in Sejong, Dec. 16. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung accepted Tuesday the resignation of the head of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), Cheong Wa Dae said, ending his three-year term a year early.
Ryu Chul-whan, who was appointed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol in January 2024, has submitted his resignation, amid growing pressure from the ruling camp for him to step down.
He had faced mounting criticism over the commission's handling of a high-profile case involving former first lady Kim Keon Hee, who was accused of accepting a luxury Dior handbag from a pastor.
In June 2024, the ACRC cleared her of the allegations, saying the anti-graft law does not apply to spouses and that the gift was not linked to then President Yoon's official duties.
The decision drew heavy public backlash, and one senior ACRC official who led the probe later took his own life after the case was closed.
Ryu, who holds ministerial rank, has not attended weekly Cabinet meetings since Dec. 9, fueling speculation that he was quietly under pressure to resign.
An alumnus of Seoul National University's law school along with Yoon, Ryu previously served as a judge for about two decades before working as a lawyer and later joining the conservative camp's legal support team.