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President Yoon Suk-yeol greets the crowd at the 2022 Boryeong Sea Mud Exhibition on July 16. (provided by presidential office)

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol is coming under fire for employees seemingly hired because of their personal connections, but the presidential office has countered that this amounts to “negative political attacks and framing.” As Yoon’s officials complain that the uproar over personnel hiring — which is considered a central factor in Yoon’s slipping approval ratings — is “unfair and unjust,” critics say that the presidential office remains out of touch with public opinion.

A senior official in the presidential office fielded questions about the hiring scandal from reporters at the Yongsan office on Sunday.

“These are individuals who were selected through legal means after their work capabilities were adequately vetted and recognized. Appointments are made through a painstaking process of verifying their career and their identity, which makes it unlikely that unfit people will be hired. I don’t agree that personal connections are playing a role in the hiring process,” the official said.

The official also rebutted the opposition Democratic Party’s claim that Yoon’s appointments run contrary to the fairness and common sense the president has championed, dismissing that as a political attack. “I suspect that various political claims are being blown out of proportion since the party is about to hold its convention,” the official said.

Figures in the presidential office thought to be examples of nepotism or cronyism include a senior administrator surnamed Choi, who is a distant maternal cousin of Yoon, as well as an administrative staffer surnamed Woo and an administrator surnamed Hwang, both children of Yoon’s long-time friends.

Eyebrows were again raised when a woman surnamed Shin, wife of Yoon’s personnel secretary, Lee Won-mo, accompanied Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee as a “special attendant” during their trip to the NATO summit, though that didn’t lead to a permanent position.

It also turns out that Woo, Shin and Shin’s mother each donated 10 million won to Yoon soon after he threw his hat in the political ring last year.

Doubts about the presidential office’s hiring standards and vetting process were aggravated by the news that two employees from Covana Contents, formerly run by the first lady, were hired under Yoon’s secretary for administrative affairs as Kim’s attendants. In addition, a woman surnamed Ahn, the older sister of a far-right YouTuber who is among the protestors shouting profanities in front of the home of former President Moon Jae-in, in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province, was working in the presidential office.

The growing scandal forced Ahn to resign, but the presidential office has been unable to explain what channel Ahn was hired through.

Whenever allegations of nepotism are raised, the presidential office has consistently denied any wrongdoing. Yoon himself seemed to shrug off the news that his distant maternal cousin was working in the presidential office, remarking on July 8 that the man was “a colleague who applied himself diligently in the presidential campaign in an official capacity.”

After questions were raised about Woo, the administrative staffer, Kweon Seong-dong, floor leader and acting head of the ruling People Power Party, openly acknowledged that he had recommended the staffer, who is the son of an election committee member in his election district.

“It reeks of hypocrisy and double standards for the Democratic Party to criticize us for recommending people who were verified through their work on the election committee and the presidential transition committee when they didn’t bring the issue up when they were in power,” Kweon said.

“Along with the impression that the same issue keeps cropping up, the presidential office’s attitude in handling this issue and the message it’s sending are making the problem worse. Officials may think it’s unfair that the hiring of a handful of employees is becoming a political issue, but they should probably accept the public response and make an attitude adjustment,” said Yun Tae-gon, head of political analysis for the think tank Moa.

“There needs to be some reflection about how the public is viewing the recurring issue of the vetting of cabinet appointments and presidential office staffers. There also needs to be a sincere apology and a change of behavior,” said Shin Yul, a professor of political science at Myongji University.

By Kim Mi-na, staff reporter

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