KOR
▲ President Lee Jae-myung
The People Power Party (PPP) launched an offensive today (August 12) regarding the presidential office's disciplinary dismissal of Kim Sang-ho, Director of the Chunchu Gwan (press center), who faced controversy over the unauthorized expansion of a multi-household housing unit, calling it a "classic case of tail-cutting."
Senior Spokesperson Park Sung-hoon said in a commentary today, "Director Kim, who was listed as a 'owner of seven homes' in public officials' property declarations early this year, avoided responsibility with the absurd excuse that 'it was already remodeled before purchase' and stepped down as if running away, while the presidential office also hurriedly dismissed him without even revealing the level of disciplinary action."
He continued, "What is even more ridiculous is the collective 'saying one thing and doing another' behavior of the presidential aides," pointing out, "When the president warned of strengthening regulations on multiple-home owners, key presidential aides who publicly promised to 'sell their homes' failed to keep their promises and either moved to 'lucrative posts' or packed their bags."
Senior Spokesperson Park criticized, "Lee Sung-hoon, former Secretary for Land and Infrastructure who owned three homes, smoothly moved to the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) president post while still holding multiple homes, and key presidential lines such as former Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Bong Wook, former Deputy Director of the National Security Office Oh Hyun-joo, and former Overseas Press Secretary Choi Sung-ah disposed of nothing while making pathetic excuses," adding, "Key aides in close proximity to the president broke their promises to the public as if mocking them."
He then urged, "President Lee should immediately apologize to the public for the presidential aides' 'collective public deception,'" and demanded, "The presidential office should not try to cover up the incident roughly by accepting [Director Kim's] resignation, but should immediately report Director Kim to investigative agencies and thoroughly hold him legally accountable."
Regarding President Lee's remarks to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and Economy Koo Yun-cheol—telling him, "People who handle taxes are bound to be cursed at. You must crawl on your ground unconditionally"—Park Soo-young, a two-term lawmaker from Busan, criticized, "The person who should apologize for the socialist-style patchwork tax-hike bomb and crawl flat on the ground before the public is President Lee himself."
Lawmaker Park wrote on Facebook today, "Isn't the president the head of the executive branch? Isn't the president the person who ordered the tax reform plan, received reports before its announcement, and ultimately confirmed it?"
He added, "Public anger over this tax reform plan is soaring to the sky," and noted, "Yet the president is smiling happily and shifting responsibility onto a subordinate official with remarks like 'crawl around' as if joking. Many citizens are calling President Lee 'out-of-body Myung.'"
The Reform Party also issued a commentary regarding the matter, criticizing, "Are you saying the president pushes forward with policies, while the Deputy Prime Minister for Economy takes the heat?" and adding, "We hope President Lee will first look back on himself to see who truly needs to bow their head and crawl before the public."
Senior Spokesperson Lee Dong-hoon emphasized in the commentary, "This brings to mind the scene not long ago when he said, 'I didn't read it, so that's why,' regarding the Criminal Procedure Act amendment bill he had voted on," adding, "What the public needs is not responsibility-shifting jokes directed at working-level officials, but an apology from the president for policy failures and a comprehensive reexamination of the tax system."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.
