Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public relations and communication, pushed back on the 30th against characterizations of Kim Ji-yong, the nominee to head the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, saying "much of the assessment of the nominee has been considerably distorted." His remarks distanced the office from claims that Kim is a prosecutor aligned with either former President Yoon Suk-yeol or former ruling party leader Han Dong-hoon. Kim is still undergoing additional vetting.
Appearing on the YouTube channel Lee Dong-hyung TV, Sung was asked when the request for Kim's parliamentary confirmation hearing would be sent to the National Assembly. "This is a personnel matter for the president, so we will have to wait and see," he said.
"Some point to the nominee as a pro-Yoon or pro-Han prosecutor, but when you look at the various additional vetting processes, that is very different from reality," Sung said.
He pointed in particular to an investigation involving the mother-in-law of former President Yoon Suk-yeol. "He was the person who strongly argued for reopening the investigation into former President Yoon's mother-in-law at a time when Yoon was being floated as a leading conservative contender for the next presidential election," Sung said. "What some people are saying is considerably at odds with the facts."
On filling the posts of chief of staff, after Kang Hoon-sik offered to resign, and of policy chief, which is vacant, Sung said the decisions rest with the president. "This is a matter for the president's judgment and resolve, but he is giving it careful thought now," he said. "Once the president makes up his mind, I think a position on the appointments will come out before long."
Sung also signaled the possibility of a firm response to an explosion believed to have been caused by a landmine inside the Demilitarized Zone on the western front. "We will first establish the facts, first investigate, and after the facts are made clear, we will clearly take the necessary and appropriate measures accordingly," he said.
"The presidential office's position on this matter is not lukewarm," he added. "The military is investigating the site on its own and has said it will take suitable corresponding measures. I understand a range of response options is under review."
