Yoon revives Civil Affairs Office

May 08, 2024, 11:06 am

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President Yoon Suk-yeol introduces his new senior secretary for civil affairs, Kim Joo-hyun, at the presidential office in Seoul on May 7, 2024./ Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Park Ji-eun

President Yoon Suk-yeol said Tuesday he has appointed Kim Joo-hyun, a former vice justice minister, as his new senior secretary for civil affairs.

Yoon introduced his new senior presidential secretary at a briefing room of the presidential office in Seoul. Born in 1961, Kim graduated from Seoul National University School of Law and passed the 28th Judicial Examination to become a prosecutor. During the Park Geun-hye administration, he served as vice minister of justice and deputy chief prosecutor of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, and worked as a lawyer at Kim & Chang Law Office.

While restoring the office that he abolished two years ago, Yoon explained that it is to better listen to public sentiment, saying that he had to seek advice from journalists due to insufficient feedback regarding public opinions on his policies. He added that the issue came up during his first meeting with the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) Chairman Lee Jae-myung.

Regarding speculations that the goal of the office is to protect the president, Yoon stressed that the revival of the office is for the benefit of the people, saying, “It was set up for the people, and the need for a chief secretary to coordinate the role of legal affairs and public discipline has been raised.”

On suspicions that he is trying to tighten his grip over the nation’s investigative authorities against pending probes into allegations surrounding key officials and his wife, Yoon said, “If there is any legal risk, it is a problem that I must face. I would have to explain issues raised against me. It wouldn’t be the job of the civil affairs secretary.”

#Civil Affairs Offce