A senior presidential aide offered to resign Friday in defiance of Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon’s order for him to testify before the parliament over a recent scandal involving Cheong Wa Dae officials.
Kim Young-han, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, was among several presidential officials called in to attend a National Assembly session on the recent leak of a classified report that contains allegations that confidants of President Park Geun-hye meddled in state affairs.
Presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said the secretary refused to show up after calling the parliamentary request for his attendance a political offensive, and expressed his intention to resign.
“Cheong Wa Dae will sternly hold him responsible, including recommending his dismissal, for defying both the agreement between ruling and opposition parties and the chief of staff’s directive,” Min told reporters.
Earlier in the day, Chief of Staff Kim apologized over the scandal for the first time.
“I will deeply self-reflect over the shameful incident,” he told the National Assembly’s steering committee.
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| Presidential Chief of Staff Kim Ki-choon (left) bows to lawmakers at the National Assembly’s House Steering Committee on Friday. Kim expressed “remorse” over a recent scandal linking up to 10 current and former presidential aides accused of exerting undue pressure on top government personnel decisions. (Yonhap) |
Kim, who has been under growing pressure from both ruling and opposition parties to resign, added that he would “not care much” about holding on to his current job.
The chief secretary also promised to take stern measures against the civil affairs aide for disobedience. He said he would advise President Park to accept Kim Young-han’s resignation.
The abrupt development is likely to reignite political bickering over the so-called Chung Yoonhoi scandal ahead of Park’s New Year’s press conference scheduled for Monday. Park is widely expected to apologize and call for an end to political fighting.
The incident was brought to the public spotlight in November when a local daily reported the leaked presidential office paper that claimed Chung, Park’s chief secretary when she was a lawmaker, continued to exert his influence.
Prosecutors on Tuesday concluded the rumors were false. A police officer who wrote the leaked papers is facing charges of publicizing government papers without authorization. An ex-presidential office aide is also accused of condoning the leak.
The main opposition New Politics Alliance for Democracy claimed that the prosecution covered up the case, and accused the civil affairs secretary of interfering in the investigation.
At Friday’s session, lawmakers planned to question the aides linked to the Chung scandal, but only two senior aides attended.
NPAD lawmakers threatened a parliamentary boycott, demanding the aides show up.
“If there is truly nothing to hide, I demand the aides attend today’s hearing,” NPAD Rep. Park Beomkye said.
Minor opposition Justice Party Rep. Kim Je-nam also asked why the presidential office had refused her request for up to 23 documents related to the recent scandal.
Lawmakers from President Park’s Saenuri Party defended Kim, saying that he could answer for all the other aides as the chief of staff.
“Whether or not the senior civil affairs secretary attends is not important.
The chief of staff is here,” Saenuri Rep. Kim Do-eup said.
By Jeong Hunny (hj257@heraldcorp.com)
