President Yoon Suk Yeol and first girl Kim Keon Hee arrive at Orly Airport in Paris, Nov. 23, 2023. Korea Instances photograph by Website positioning Jae-hoon
President brushes off rumors about his uneasy relationship with PPP chief
By Kwak Yeon-soo
President Yoon Suk Yeol mentioned Thursday that the questioning of first girl Kim Keon Hee exterior the prosecution workplace was not on account of preferential remedy and occurred per related protocols.
Prosecutors questioned Kim at a presidential safety facility as an alternative of the prosecution workplace on July 20 over a sequence of allegations, together with her acceptance of a Dior bag from a pastor in 2022.
The closed-door questioning of Kim has sparked a backlash from the opposition and claims that she was given particular favors.
The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Workplace, which led the investigation into Kim’s alleged unlawful acceptance of a luxurious bag, concluded that she was not responsible of any wrongdoing, including that the bag was given merely “out of gratitude.”
The Supreme Prosecutors’ Workplace then referred the case to a prosecution investigation evaluate committee.
“The questioning of my spouse was performed in accordance with related laws. After I was a prosecutor, I additionally visited a former first girl’s home to conduct an investigation,” Yoon mentioned throughout Thursday’s press convention on the presidential workplace in Seoul. “Except a warrant has been issued, the tactic and site of the questioning could be determined after contemplating numerous elements.”
Yoon mentioned the presidential workplace is reviewing candidate websites for the workplace tasked solely with managing Kim’s actions. To this point, the workplace of the non-public secretary to the president has been organizing her schedule.
President Yoon Suk Yeol walks previous Han Dong-hoon, chief of the ruling Individuals Energy Get together (PPP), throughout a discussion board for the Munhwa Future Report on the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Business constructing in Seoul, Tuesday.
Yoon disregarded rumors about his uneasy relationship with ruling Individuals Energy Get together (PPP) chief Han Dong-hoon.
Yoon-Han tensions resurfaced after the presidential workplace objected to Han’s proposal to defer the following medical faculty quota hike deliberate for 2026 and mentioned the federal government will stick with its unique plan to extend admissions by 2,000 seats yearly for the following 5 years.
“I’m on good phrases with Han. The federal government and the ruling celebration are speaking easily by means of a number of channels,” Yoon mentioned.
Regardless of the denial, Yoon canceled his deliberate dinner with PPP leaders till after the Chuseok vacation in an ongoing feud with Han over the medical faculty quota hike subject.
On whether or not he plans to fulfill Rep. Lee Jae-myung, the chief of the principle opposition Democratic Get together of Korea, Yoon mentioned the Nationwide Meeting’s normalization ought to come earlier than any one-on-one conferences between the 2.
Yoon additionally shared his stance in vetoing a contentious particular counsel invoice on a Marine’s demise throughout a search and rescue operation in a flooded space in July 2023.
“The outcomes of a police investigation into the case uncovered the precise fact and who was accountable,” Yoon mentioned. “Throughout the Meeting committee’s listening to, it grew to become clear that there was no interference by the federal government within the army’s investigation into the Marine’s demise.”
