New Korean presidency begins in disarray amid claims of sabotage

A view of the presidential records exhibition hall at the Presidential Archives in Sejong, April 10 / Yonhap

Upon assuming office, Korea's new administration under President Lee Jae-myung reportedly found itself in a near-total administrative void, as the presidential compound in Yongsan was said to be devoid of staff, essential supplies and even fundamental work systems.

While a degree of transitional friction is not uncommon during a shift in presidential power, the alleged state of the office has drawn sharp criticism from lawmakers, watchdogs and various civic groups. Some have accused the outgoing Yoon Suk Yeol administration of sabotaging the transition deliberately, with particularly grave concerns raised about the potential destruction of sensitive documents related to the Dec. 3 martial law declaration.

Unlike past handovers that preserved at least minimal operational capacity, the Yongsan presidential office was “completely stripped,” officials said. Desks sat empty, printers were gone, there was no internet connectivity and security systems were shut down. No Cabinet documents or briefing materials were left behind for the incoming administration.

“It looked like a war zone after a retreat,” one official said. “There wasn’t even an ink pad left for official use.” While the presidential office under Yoon claimed the removal was a part of a routine “clean-up,” critics rejected the explanation, calling it unprecedented even when compared to previous politically tense transitions.

The president was visibly shaken during his first press briefing at the Yongsan compound, declaring, “It feels like a tomb. There’s no printer, no internet, not even a pen.”

He emphasized that the absence of even the most basic infrastructure meant “state affairs were practically paralyzed” from Day 1.

Rep. Park Chan-dae, acting leader and floor leader of the leading Democratic Party of Korea, speaks during a Supreme Council meeting at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung described the compound as being in a “nonfunctional state,” confirming that no working materials or supplies had been left behind. In response, the president ordered all career civil servants who had been reassigned to return to their original posts immediately.

The ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) did not mince words.

Floor leader Park Chan-dae described the empty presidential office as a “crime scene,” accusing Yoon’s team of systematically erasing data, removing documents and sabotaging government continuity.

“Chief aides were instructed to shred documents and wipe computers clean,” Park said at a press conference. “We will demand an investigation into whether this was a coordinated attempt to destroy evidence linked to the December martial law declaration.”

Rep. Shin Jung-hoon, who chairs the Public Administration and Security Committee, echoed the sentiment, calling for an investigation of then-presidential chief of staff Chung Jin-suk for allegedly directing aides to delete files in the final days of Yoon’s presidency.

Even some conservatives raised their voices in alarm. Former lawmaker Lee Un-ju warned that if the Yoon administration destroyed records related to the martial law declaration, it “could constitute a national security-level crime.”

Civic groups and former officials are now raising the alarm over the lack of transparency surrounding sealed presidential records. The Center for Freedom of Information and Transparent Society has filed an official request for the list of designated records from the Yoon administration.

Participants hold placards during a joint press conference by lawmakers and civic groups in front of Seoul Government Complex, April 29, opposing then-acting President Han Duck-soo’s designation of presidential records. Yonhap

Cho Young-sam, former head of the Seoul Archives, cited a recent Supreme Court ruling that required reconsideration of nondisclosure practices related to the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster records. He argued this precedent should apply to the current refusal to release even the index of Yoon-era presidential records.

“During the Yoon administration, numerous events occurred that demand full transparency,” said a representative from the civic group, citing matters including the martial law fiasco, the deadly crowd crush in Itaewon in 2022 and the 2023 death of Marine Private First Class Chae Soo-geun during flood relief efforts.

“The public has a right to know what happened,” the representative said.

A Presidential Archives official acknowledged that disclosing the index might reveal the content of the documents, which could be the reason for withholding them. They declined to confirm whether such indexes are legally protected under current classification rules.

This is the second time in recent history that Korea has experienced a presidential transition without a formal transition committee. The previous time was in 2017 following Park Geun-hye’s impeachment.

Experts warn that the absence of institutional safeguards for presidential transitions leaves the process vulnerable to politicization, especially during periods of high political tension.

As the Lee administration works to reestablish basic administrative functions, calls are growing for structural reform. Lawmakers and civil society groups are urging the government to mandate at least the disclosure of presidential record indexes to ensure future transparency and accountability.