On May 8, it was reported that President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed surprise at the controversy over the so-called unofficial line related to the summit.
“Isn’t there a Chief Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs?” Yoon asked in a meeting with his aides, according to a high-ranking official at the Presidential Office who spoke to News1 that morning.
The implication is that it’s absurd to suggest the President used an unofficial line to coordinate a meeting with Representative Lee when an official line exists through the Chief Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs.
“After the general elections ended, we felt the need for communication and the conditions for the summit were ripe,” said an official at the Presidential Office. “There were continuous requests for meetings from the opposition party, and it was not a situation where we couldn’t meet unless someone built a bridge.”
A considerable ripple effect occurred in the political world when Hankook Ilbo reported an interview with Professor Hahm Sung Deuk of Kyonggi University, and Professor Im Hyug Baeg of Korea University the day before. Yoon has a close relationship with Professor Hahm, while Professor Im served as the chairman of the Democratic Party’s nomination committee in the April 10 general election. The controversy escalated when it was revealed that the two had coordinated the summit on behalf of Yoon and Representative Lee behind the scenes.
There was a backlash from the supporters of the ruling party when it was reported that Yoon first proposed three things: recommending Prime Minister candidates, establishing a hotline with Representative Lee, and not placing anyone uncomfortable with Representative Lee in the position of Chief Presidential Secretary.
The Presidential Office maintains there was no unofficial envoy during the summit process.
According to the Presidential Office, former Chief Presidential Secretary Lee Kwan Sup and former Chief Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs Han Oh Seop played leading roles while the summit quickly proceeded once Yoon made the decision.
Meanwhile, Yoon, who is signaling his intention to continue communicating with the opposition party through the summit as part of his national administration innovation, is also believed to be upset about the controversy over the unofficial envoy.
This is because there is a possibility that unnecessary noise could reduce the effect of innovation, which he is focusing on after the loss in the general election.
The situation is more sensitive because there was once a controversy over the unofficial envoy during the process of appointing the Prime Minister, with rumors of appointing Park Young Sun and Yang Jung Chul.
During this period, officials stated, “It has not been reviewed.” However, the controversy surrounding the unofficial envoy escalated as reports emerged indicating that it was strongly considered by some officials in the Presidential Office.
The controversy abated only after the newly appointed Chief Presidential Secretary, Chung Jin Suk, assumed office and asserted that “the politics of the Presidential Office are led by the President, not the secretary,” thereby establishing internal discipline.
An official from the ruling party said, “It’s regrettable that the anxiety among supporters is amplified by the provocative rhetoric of those who claim to be an unofficial envoy, while we are restructuring our ranks using the summit as a stepping stone.”