Yoon instructs his office to coordinate after interior minister’s suspension

Feb 10, 2023, 09:21 am

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President Yoon Suk-yeol visits the Turkish Embassy in Seoul on Feb. 9, 2023, to express his condolences over the victims of this week’s earthquake in Turkey./ Source: Presidential Office

AsiaToday reporter Kim Na-ri

President Yoon Suk-yeol has instructed Lee Kwan-sup, senior presidential secretary for policy planning, to coordinate state affairs between the presidential office and the interior ministry on Thursday in order to prevent a vacuum in state affairs in the awake of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min’s suspension from duties due to the impeachment motion. The president also called for strengthening the cooperation system among the presidential office, the prime minister’s office, and the interior ministry.

“The vice minister is currently in charge of the interior ministry. In order to cooperate with the presidential office, local government administration affairs is handled by the senior secretary office for political affairs, personnel affairs is handled by the secretary for personnel affairs and the discipline room for public office, and disaster management is handled by the state affairs room,” a senior presidential official told reporters at the presidential office. “Since it is not easy for the vice minister to work, the senior secretary for state affairs and planning should serve as a window for coordinating state affairs between the presidential office and the interior ministry,” the official said.

Since the National Assembly on Wednesday approved a motion to impeach interior minister Lee Sang-min, Vice Minister Han Chang-seop has been serving as an acting minister.

Regarding the chief position of the Central Disaster Countermeasures Headquarters, which was headed by the interior minister, the official said, “The interior minister is basically heading the headquarters, and the prime minister can take charge if necessary. The relevant ministries are discussing the details to make it legally right because the sectors the prime minister can take charge may vary depending on various circumstances.”

The presidential office said it would try to fill the gap so that the people can feel safe. But Lee’s absence will inevitably disrupt his work, including government reforms that President Yoon has been pushing for.

“In fact, private support related to Turkey should be led by the interior minister, but it may not be possible,’ the official said, adding, “We are trying to manage state affairs stably to prevent a vacuum, but there are difficulties. The interior minister is leading the disaster management system, and we have no choice but to slow down.”

Meanwhile, President Yoon visited the Turkish Embassy in Seoul on Thursday to offer his condolences over the victims of this week’s devastating earthquake in Turkey. Yoon told Turkish Ambassador to Seoul Murat Tamer that South Korea will do its best to help the Turkish people overcome their grief and stand again.

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