hankyoreh

Gyeonggi Province in order to investigate whether the archives’ records had been leaked

The Cheong Wa Dae is poising itself to receive heavy criticism for violating fundamental intent behind the Presidential Records Management Law, which prevents officials from the current administration from reviewing records of past administrations, with its appointment of a Lee Myung-bak administration official as the head of the Presidential Archives.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Security (MOPAS) announced on March 15 that it appointed Kim Sun-jin, a public relations official of the Cheong Wa Dae (the presidential office in South Korea or Blue House) as the head of the Presidential Archives.

The Presidential Archives position has been vacant since Lim Sang-kyung, then-head of the Presidential Archives was dismissed for misconduct in leaking contents from the arvhies in December 2009. Lim was appointed as head of the Presidential Archives at the end of the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Prosecutors suspended his indictment after an investigation.

In response that appointment, experts on records management are voicing criticism that this move will shake the foundation of the Presidential Archive’s management system. The Presidential Records Management Law enacted in April 2007 sets a five-year term for the head of the Presidential Archives in order to prevent the incumbent administration from accessing records for political purposes.

However, since an incumbent secretary was appointed as the head of the Presidential Archives, the Cheong Wa Dae will now have access to records of past administrations including the Roh Moo-hyun adinistration. Lee Seung-hui, professor of Myungji University, said, “The head of the Presidential Archives has free access to the records, thus this move will incapacitate the law’s intention.”

Woo Sang-ho, spokesman of the Democratic Party, said, “This was an inappropriate appointment since the man who is a member of the incumbent administration was appointed to a position in which he will be tempted to use the records for politically motivated reasons.” Woo added, “An independent person should be reappointed as the head of the Presidential Archives.”

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