Amid PPP's Personnel Interference Offensive, Lim Kwang-hyun Says 'There Will Be No Cause for Concern'

At the National Assembly Steering Committee's government audit on the 29th, as the People Power Party raised suspicions of 'Gyeonggi-Seongnam line personnel interference,' presidential chief of staff Lim Kwang-hyun responded that personnel appointments at the presidential office are being carried out systematically under the chief of staff's responsibility as chairman of the personnel committee. The Steering Committee held an audit of the presidential office, the National Security Office, and the Presidential Security Service on the 29th, and the PPP demanded that Kim Hyun-ji, first deputy chief of staff at the presidential office, and Jung Jin-sang, former political affairs coordination chief of the Democratic Party, be adopted as witnesses.

PPP Rep. Kim Min-jeon argued that "evidence keeps emerging that First Deputy Chief of Staff Kim Hyun-ji managed personnel appointments," adding that "since Kim managed the attorneys involved in the president's criminal trial, her influence over the civil affairs and personnel lines must be very strong." Chief of staff Lim said, "I cannot discuss specific details, but we will ensure that the public has no concerns regarding vetting and related matters."

Rep. Lee Sang-hwi of the same party said there is no personnel line other than 'Kyungsung Tech' — the Gyeonggi-Seongnam-appeal withdrawal-Daejangdong defense network. Chief of staff Lim called this "unfounded suspicion."

On the PPP-raised 'golf suspicions' involving First Lady Kim Hye-kyung, Lim said, "The essence of the issue is the false claims that she played golf with Lydia Ko and at Hwangje Golf, or received lessons worth tens of millions of won," adding that "an apology must come first."

PPP Rep. Choi Eun-seok took issue with the fact that key witnesses were excluded from the audit due to objections from the ruling party. He said, "Kim Yong-beom is not allowed, Kim Hyun-ji is not allowed, Jung Jin-sang is not allowed. Blocking key witnesses one after another, I don't know who we're supposed to be asking what."

The day's audit also repeatedly broke down over a separate matter, sparked by the question of whether PPP Rep. Kim Tae-gyu should resign from the Steering Committee after saying that "Chun Doo-hwan did not commit insurrection." Chairman Han Byung-do declared a recess, repeatedly halting the session, and the audit resumed roughly two hours later while Rep. Kim was absent from the chamber. The resumed audit ended in continued gridlock between the ruling and opposition parties, concluding in disarray.