▲ President Lee Jae-myung delivers a commemorative speech at the 81st Police Day ceremony held at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on October 21.
Regarding the political debate over the head of the Major Crimes Investigation Agency sitting in on Cabinet meetings, President Lee Jae-myung said, "A president's direction and supervision over state affairs is both an authority and a responsibility," adding, "Giving up direction and supervision over the Major Crimes Investigation Agency would violate the Constitution and the Government Organization Act, serving as grounds for impeachment, and constitutes a crime of dereliction of duty punishable by criminal law."
Amid concerns raised by some that having the agency head attend Cabinet meetings could negatively affect the fairness and political neutrality of investigations, President Lee's remarks are interpreted as reaffirming his stance that allowing attendance is the right course of action.
President Lee explained, "Whether it is the Public Indictment Agency, the Korea Meteorological Administration, or the National Fire Agency, it is clearly stipulated in the Constitution and the Government Organization Act that all ministries, departments, and agencies are subject to the direction and supervision of the president and the prime minister."
He then asked, "Let me ask: Are you telling me to violate the Constitution and laws and not direct or supervise the Major Crimes Investigation Agency? Or are you telling me not to do it in an open meeting, but behind closed doors in secret?"
He continued, "Demanding that the Major Crimes Investigation Agency be barred from attending open Cabinet meetings is an unreasonable claim that violates the Constitution, the laws, and common sense," stressing that "the argument that excluding [the agency] is a way to ensure political neutrality lacks logic."
Regarding his social media post the previous day sharing an answer from generative AI Gemini about the agency head's attendance at Cabinet meetings, he also wrote, "I did not quote Gemini because I did not know. I did so to make people realize how much that claim (opposing attendance) contradicts elementary logic and facts, and how low in quality it is."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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