Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik offered his resignation to President Lee Jae-myung on the 21st. The move is seen as an effort to take responsibility for the vetting controversy that erupted after Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in withdrew in succession.
Sung Ki-hong, senior presidential secretary for public communication, disclosed the offer at a briefing held about four hours before Lee departed for New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly. Kang was appointed chief of staff when Lee took office in June last year and served in the post for about 15 months.
A senior presidential official said Kang "offered to resign as an assumption of overall responsibility in his capacity as the chief of staff who assists the president." Lee, however, told a meeting of senior secretaries the same day, "I cannot decide yet how to handle this."
Kang resigns just before Lee's trip in a bid to contain personnel scandal
Kang's abrupt resignation offer is read as a last-resort measure to quiet public discontent at a time when Lee's approval rating has slipped to the 30% range. As the vetting controversy surrounding the second round of Cabinet changes widened, Kang appears to have concluded that he could not avoid responsibility as the chief of staff overseeing personnel decisions. Analysts add that with suspicions surfacing over personnel interference by the so-called Gyeonggi-Seongnam line, the president's closest associates, Kang also intended to step down himself to keep the controversy from spreading further.
Political observers point to the successive withdrawals of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in as the direct trigger for Kang's decision on the 21st. Yong, whose nomination in the second round of Cabinet changes announced on Aug. 30 was seen as a symbol of "unity within the progressive camp," stepped aside 14 days after being named as controversy grew over her retaining her proportional-representation seat. Kim also resigned the day after Lee's news conference, even though the National Assembly had adopted his confirmation hearing report despite the spreading allegations of lobbying over a new drug. Reports that a petition containing allegations of sexual harassment against Kim had subsequently been delivered to the presidential office concentrated the blame for the vetting failures on Kang.
Under those circumstances, analysts say it would have been difficult for Kang to continue serving as head of the presidential personnel committee, which handles appointments at the ministerial level and above. In particular, once suspicions emerged that the so-called Gyeonggi-Seongnam line — including Kim Hyun-ji, head of the first presidential secretariat office, and Jung Jin-sang, former head of the Democratic Party's political coordination office — had been involved in recommending minister nominees, Kang sought a way out through resignation. His decision to announce the offer just hours before Lee left for the United States and Mexico also reflected a judgment aimed at preventing the personnel controversy from carrying into the president's overseas trip.
Shin Yul, a professor at Myongji University, said: "As suspicions grew over personnel interference by unofficial channels, Kang, who heads the official channel overseeing personnel, likely wanted to send the message that no unofficial channel exists by stepping down. For now, the aim is to block the spread of the allegations, buy time and catch their breath."
Lee is expected to hold off on accepting the resignation for some time. Kang was picked as chief of staff in the first set of appointments announced after Lee took office on June 4 last year, and because he not only assisted the president at close range but also played a significant role as special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, some observers say finding an immediate replacement may not be easy.
At the meeting of senior secretaries, Lee said, "It seems the chief of staff has finally said he would like to 'graduate' from the presidential office today," adding, "I cannot decide yet how to handle this." He also offered encouragement, saying, "Including the chief of staff, many of our aides have gone through a physically demanding period and worked very hard."
Still, with the policy chief post also vacant following the earlier resignation of Kim Yong-beom, it will be difficult to delay follow-up appointments for long. Some suggest a sweeping reshuffle of the presidential staff could follow once Lee returns from his trip to the United States and Mexico. With his approval rating continuing to decline, there is speculation that Lee may instead use Kang's resignation offer as an opening for personnel renewal to regain momentum in running the government.
In a message to presidential office staff the same day, Kang said, "Looking after the lives of the people and supporting the president's administration of state affairs is the duty entrusted to us," urging them, "Our ranks must not be shaken regardless of what happens to me."
Reaction from the rival parties diverged. Within the Democratic Party, the resignation offer by the president's closest aide is largely viewed as a foregone step, coming after Lee signaled a renewal of state affairs. One first-term Democratic Party lawmaker said, "Having assisted the president at the closest range, the chief of staff likely felt he could not shift the responsibility to someone else once the president repeatedly cited 'his own shortcomings.'"
The People Power Party, by contrast, kept up its offensive, arguing that Kang's resignation alone cannot settle the personnel controversy. Party leader Jang Dong-hyuk said, "Aren't the people who really need to take responsibility the 'Gyeonggi-Seongnam line' that is said to control the presidential office?" He called for "a complete overhaul of the Cabinet and the presidential office." Floor leader Chung Jom-sig said, "The senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, who is responsible for the practical work of recommending and vetting appointees, must also be held accountable."
