[Choice Times=Sang-Hyun Park, Staff Reporter]

Kim Nam-guk, Presidential Office Secretary for Public Digital Communications, tendered his resignation on the 4th for the “crime” (?) of leaking secrets about “Sister Hyun-ji.”

On December 2, during a Telegram conversation with Rep. Moon Jin-seok of the Democratic Party, Secretary Kim responded to a request for personnel favors regarding the presidency of a private organization by saying,“I’ll recommend him to Hoon-sik hyung and Hyun-ji nuna.”
This exchange, displayed on Rep. Moon’s mobile phone during a plenary session of the National Assembly, was captured on camera by the news agency Newspim.

After the report sparked controversy, the Presidential Office announced on the 3rd via a notice that

“We inform you that a stern warning has been issued, from the standpoint of public service discipline, to an internal staff member who inappropriately conveyed inaccurate information.”

It was after this that Secretary Kim submitted his resignation.
Meanwhile, Kim Hyun-ji, the Secretary to the President, and Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik—who, according to Secretary Kim’s message, would have been exercising influence behind the scenes even over personnel for private organizations—remain in their posts. In effect, Kim Nam-guk has been sacrificed to protect Kim Hyun-ji.

Full Text of the Social Media Post by Rep. Na Kyung-won of the People Power Party

This is the scene of a backroom personnel deal over the chairmanship of the Korea Automobile Industry Association, a private organization, between the Presidential Office and the ruling party’s floor leadership. And it happened right in the plenary chamber of the National Assembly.

“You, my younger brother, go recommend him for me.”
“Yes, hyung. I’ll recommend him to (Kang) Hoon-sik hyung and (Kim) Hyun-ji nuna!!”

This is how the Lee Jae-myung administration divvies up posts.

Younger brothers and “nunas” everywhere—is the Republic of Korea just a clubhouse or parlor for a particular political faction?

The shameless behavior of carving up positions by exchanging private messages among themselves—

Above all, this exchange practically notarized the fact that if you recommend someone to “Sister Hyun-ji,” everything goes smoothly. “Sangwang (overlord) Kim Hyun-ji.”

We have now directly confirmed that a shadow power broker, not part of the official personnel line, is pulling the strings on appointments.

If Secretary to the President Kim Hyun-ji and Presidential Office officials have been exerting influence even over the selection of private association heads, this is a clear abuse of authority and personnel manipulation.

A thorough investigation is needed into abuse of power and improper solicitation in which political power intervened in the personnel matters of a private association.

Similar cases must also be thoroughly investigated, and those involved must be dismissed immediately.

Instead of inspecting the mobile phones of 750,000 innocent civil servants, start by seizing and examining the phones of Secretary Kim Hyun-ji and Secretary Kim Nam-guk, and conduct a full investigation.

#PresidentialOfficeScandal #PowerAbuseAllegations #KimNamgukResignation