Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, stated on September 21 that the resignations of former Justice Minister candidate Kim Seung-won and former Minister of Gender Equality and Family candidate Yong Hye-in are not the end of the matter. He called for an investigation into the allegations surrounding Kim and pressured for the attendance of Kim Hyun-ji, head of the Presidential Office's first secretariat, at the upcoming National Assembly audit.
During a Supreme Council meeting held at the National Assembly, Jang referenced the voluntary resignations of Kim and Yong, urging President Yoon Suk-yeol to withdraw the nominations of the remaining ministerial candidates.
Jang remarked, "President Yoon stated in a press conference that he did not make the final decision on Kim's appointment," adding, "If Hong Ik-pyo, the chief of staff at the Blue House, did not suppress the petition regarding Kim, then the Democratic Party and the President must have known and still pushed for the appointment."
He continued, "Kim was involved in efforts to suppress and conceal the petition, meeting with former aides to question the contents of the petition while asserting, 'I have no intention of stepping down.' Who informed Kim about this?"
Jang also raised concerns about Kim Hyun-ji's alleged involvement in personnel matters, referencing the 'Kim Byeong-gi campaign donation case.' He claimed, "Former lawmaker Lee Soo-jin submitted a petition regarding Kim Byeong-gi to Kim Hyun-ji, who was then an aide to Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party. At that time, the petition also reached Kim Byeong-gi. The same reporting line has seen similar incidents occur again."
Meanwhile, the People Power Party has united in calling for accountability regarding this 'personnel disaster' during the upcoming National Assembly audit next month. Jang emphasized, "We must hold the Blue House personnel line accountable and clarify whether Kim Hyun-ji intervened in personnel matters. Kim must be present at this audit."
Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik also raised questions about the accountability of the Blue House personnel verification line, demanding the resignations of Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik and Prime Minister Han Seung-sook, while pushing for the selection of Kim Hyun-ji and Jeong Jin-sang, former chief of the Democratic Party's political coordination office, as witnesses for the audit.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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