Presidential aide’s explanations fuel suspicions about him

Woo Byung-woo, the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, had an explanatory session with reporters over a suspicious properties deal involving his family. He said he had “no intention of taking political responsibility,” making it clear that he was not willing to step down just because of media reports about the suspicions. It was his first contact with journalists since the arrest of Jin Kyung-joon, a senior prosecutor, in a bribery case. However, his belated explanations only intensified suspicions about him.

Regarding the properties in the posh southern district of Seoul that major online game developer Nexon Co. had purchased, from his wife’s family, he claimed that he had never asked the Nexon founder Kim Jung-ju to buy the properties. He claimed it was a coincidence that Nexon purchased the 130 billion won (113 million U.S. dollars) worth of properties, which his wife’s family had difficulties looking for a buyer. Nexon’s founder is a friend of Jin, who was close to him. In the early stages of the scandal, Woo said he had never been involved in the transaction by his wife’s family. Later, he said he was present at the signing of the deal “in order to console his mother-in-law” who was “sad” to have to sell her late husband’s properties.

More than anything else, it is hard to understand that he did not mention his failure to check Jin’s ownership of Nexon stocks during his screening process for a promotion in 2015. When suspicions arouse about Jin’s stock ownership in March, Woo protected Jin, asking what the problem was about making money from personal stock transactions. Jin is known to be close to the presidential aide as a successor to Woo’s former positions as a public prosecutor. Woo never offered an apology for the first-ever arrest of a senior prosecutor whom he protected.

Regarding suspicions about favoritism involving his son who is serving as a conscripted police officer instead of doing the mandatory military service, he said “his heart ached as a father.” He seemed to be complaining about the media digging into his son’s private life. However, the hearts of many ordinary parents whose sons are serving in the military or police would hurt, too, watching the son of an influential official being transferred to an easy and comfortable position.

The position of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs is important in that it is responsible for supervising the prosecution and the National Intelligence Service. The prosecution has started investigation into media reports about him following his filing of a suit. Who would believe the fairness of the probe as long as he maintains his position? He complained that he was not able to perform his normal duty in order to write press releases regarding media reports about him. Was he trying to say that the media should believe what he said and stop reporting on suspicions surrounding him? Although he claimed he had done his best to serve the president, it is time for him to reconsider his job for the president.

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