Influence scandal and Cheong Wa Dae`s Jindo dogs

"Jeong Yoon-hoi briefing" report written by the Office of Secretary to the President for Public Office Discipline, which President Park Geun-hye called ‘a flyer containing groundless rumors,’ include contents about Lee Jeong-hyeon, former senior presidential secretary for public relations, and Kim Deok-joong, former Director of the National Tax Service. According to the memoranda, Jeong and so-called ten attendants (close aides to the President) agreed to replace these two personnel. Coincidentally, the two high-ranking officials stepped down in June and August respectively. It doesn’t feel quite right even trying to regard it as just a sheer coincidence.

In the leaked internal document, Jeong said, “Lee Jeong-hyeon, who is not from the genuine insider group, is now going around relying on the VIP (President Park). If he is out of President’s favor, we can cut him off with one fell swoop.” According to the leaked memoranda, Jeong told Ahn Bong-geun, Personal Secretary II to the President, to collect cases that may work against Lee. Senior presidential secretary Lee suddenly submitted a resignation on the next day of local elections on June 4. Such sudden resignation even caught Blue House correspondents by surprise. Around that time, KBS labor union filed a complaint with the prosecution against Lee for allegation of exercising pressure on KBS to “refrain criticism against the maritime police” after the deadly disaster of sunken Sewol ferry. Later, Lee was elected as lawmaker in the by-election. But when he left Blue House, his future in the political arena was quite unclear.

Regarding the National Tax Service’s former director Kim Deok-joong, the document says, “He does not do a good job in his position. He lacks of a controlling power.” Although former director Kim lost popularity in the economic circle by imposing taxes regardless of size of companies. However, there was little complaints that he is not capable. Former director Kim was replaced after 1 and a half year in the office, when Finance Minister Choi Kyoung-hwan was appointed in August. At that time, many got suspicious as chairmen of the Fair Trade Commission and the Financial Services Commission kept their positions but only director of the National Tax Service was replaced. Some said Kim’s replacement can be attributed to the fact that Kim is not one of the genuine insiders of this administration.

President Park made a half-serious joke at a luncheon with the Saenuri party leadership on Saturday, saying “The real influential figure in Blue House is Jindo dogs (Saerom and Hope, the dogs kept in the Presidential Residence).” The hidden meaning is that secret ties or secret influential figures are all groundless fabrication. Saerom and Hope, which were small doggies when brought to the presidential residence, now are grown up and watch people coming in and going out of the residence. Some say that the dogs won’t bark at the so-called "Door-knob Powers (the three especially close aides to the president)." Prosecution may bring suspects to the presidential office`s Jindo dogs to catch real secret influential figures and ties that meddle in the state affairs.