Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik offered his resignation to President Lee Jae-myung on the 21st. The move is seen as an attempt to take responsibility after a series of failed nominations — including Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in — triggered controversy over the administration's vetting process.
Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication, announced the resignation at a briefing held about four hours before Lee departed for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Kang was appointed chief of staff when Lee took office in June last year and served in the post for about 15 months.
A senior presidential official said Kang "offered to resign as chief of staff to take comprehensive responsibility in his role assisting the president." Lee, however, told a meeting of senior secretaries the same day that "I cannot decide yet how to handle this."
