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Presidential office must properly manage Park’s confidants

Presidential office must properly manage Park’s confidants

Posted November. 03, 2014 05:32,   

한국어

Fortuneteller Lee, whom former chief secretary Jeong Yoon-hoi for then lawmaker Park Geun-hye reportedly met on the day of the Sewol disaster (April 16), provides cause of concern about people around the president. Lee, who has had relationship with Jeong for more than 10 years, was convicted and received a prison term for pocketing over 400 million won (375,000 U.S. dollars) in return for having a certain figure arrested in a court hearing, after he was introduced to a businessman identified by his last name Yoo by an accomplice Jeong (a woman) in 2006. Lee also visited the presidential office by citing her relationship with First Lady Lee Hee-ho during the Kim Dae-jung administration, and promised business favors, before being arrested by the National Police Agency’s investigation team at special instruction by the presidential office. Lee’s acquaintances testified that Lee recently told them, “I frequently talk over the phone with President Park Geun-hye. Jeong Yoon-hoi even acts as if he is ready to die at my instruction,” alluding that he can influence to secure business favors.

Talking to a Dong-A Ilbo reporter, Lee denied the accusations, saying, “I only discuss studies of life and noblemen with Jeong, and have never exchanged business favors.” However, Jeong is bringing trouble to President Park just by meeting with a fortuneteller who committed influence-peddling for money or was involved in pork-barreling by promoting his relationships with those in power in the past. After all, Lee is President Park’s close confidant who recommended her three core senior secretaries that are dubbed "three big shots" these days.

The rumor that President Park was meeting with Jeong on the day of the Sewol accident, which was spawned by a report by the Japanese daily Sankei, is proven to be groundless. Prosecutors traced Jeong’s mobile phone records on the day of the Sewol accident, to find that he was staying at Lee’s office for about four hours on the day. However, although this meeting between Lee and Jeong may help dispel the rumors surrounding President Park, he could potentially bring about massive ramifications.

Regarding the rumor that the secretive line of Man-man-hoi (Park Ji-man, Lee Jae-man and Jeong Yoon-hoi) intervened in personnel reshuffles, which surfaced every time the president appointed various positions, Jeong have denied by calling “groundless accusation.” However, as suspicions and rumors continued to emerge, Jeong himself would be the person who suffers primary damage, but President Park and the presidential office stand to suffer more damage. On rumors surrounding him, Jeong said in July, “I asked the government to officially investigate, be it a special inspector or the senior civil affairs office of the presidential office.” If the office of senior presidential secretary for civil affairs in charge of managing the president’s relatives, confidants and inspection of disciplines in officialdom, played its due roles, such rumors would not have emerged repeatedly.

On the suspicion that the secretive line of Man-man-hoi are interfering in personnel affairs, Kim Ki-choon, presidential chief of staff, told parliamentary inspection of the government on Tuesday last week, “There was no such a case at all. If there is such a case, I urge the public to report.” The presidential office should not wait for reporting by the public. By taking "gates" and scandals of past administrations as examples, the presidential office should preemptively and decisively deal with suspicions that emerge from people around the president.