Blue House on Senior Civil Affairs Secretary Han Chan-sik: "An Appointment to Deliver Results in Completing Prosecutorial Reform"

Senior Blue House Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung explained regarding concerns raised by some within the ruling bloc over the appointment of Han Chan-sik, a former prosecutor, as the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, saying, "While we look at the will and ability for prosecutorial reform, we also considered a deep internal understanding of the organization to be highly important."

In an interview on CBS Radio's "Park Sung-tae's News Show" on the same day, Spokesperson Kang said, "From the perspective of an administration navigating its second year in office, understanding the target organization of reform is crucial in terms of strengthening accountability and how well the senior secretary can perform their duties."

She emphasized, "This appointment comprehensively considered the candidate's understanding of the direction of reform and change, their strictness, and their ability to bear the heavy responsibility of executing such policy tasks."

She added, "We bear a weight of responsibility that goes beyond the current controversy. If prosecutorial reform is an important task of our time, the appointee must be someone who can play a role in its completion and deliver responsible results."

Her remarks are interpreted as meaning that, contrary to concerns that appointing a former prosecutor might hinder the completion of prosecutorial reform, Han was appointed precisely because someone who thoroughly understands the prosecution is needed to smoothly finalize the reform.

Regarding the decline in President Lee Jae-myung's approval rating following the June 3 local elections, Spokesperson Kang said, "We do not view these signs with indifference."

She cited grocery prices as an example, explaining, "The public may feel discomfort regarding the state of public livelihoods and the economy."

Pointing out the shadow behind the stock market boom, she also noted, "There is certainly a sense of relative deprivation when polarization begins to occur even in financial assets that young people feel are accessible."

She stated, "Ultimately, the Blue House has no choice but to identify even the invisible underlying phenomena and spur efforts to create policy efficacy that the public can tangibly feel, particularly in the areas of public livelihoods and the economy."


Spokesperson Kang also shared a behind-the-scenes story regarding President Lee's recent attendance at the G7 summit in Evian, France, where he received a golf invitation from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Kang said, "Ever since their very first phone call right after President Lee took office, President Trump asked things like, 'How often do you play golf?' and 'What is your handicap?' He even asked during the summit."

She continued, "The topic came up again this time, and President Trump reportedly gestured to say, 'Let's do this next time.' It is an expression of intimacy, and from President Trump's perspective, a round of golf is likely one of his key channels of communication."

However, regarding whether an actual golf meeting is being arranged, she said, "While a specific time and place have not been set yet, the possibility and likelihood of it happening are quite high. It depends on which option is more beneficial to the national interest."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.