SEOUL, March 14 (Yonhap) — President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol said Monday he would ax an office of Cheong Wa Dae who has been accused in the past of carrying out secret investigations into political and civilian adversaries. , according to his spokesperson Kim Eun-hye.
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Yoon made the announcement during a meeting with officials from the transitional power committee, saying that the office of the civil affairs adviser has been used at times to “monitor opposition political forces and carry out covert investigations on civilians. “, according to the spokesperson.
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“I will end these practices,” Yoon said, according to the spokeswoman. The abolition of the office of civil affairs adviser was one of Yoon’s campaign promises.
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Instead, Yoon should reactivate the Special Inspector system. The presidential office’s special inspector is tasked with preventing corruption involving senior officials and those close to the president, but the post was left vacant under the Moon Jae-in administration.
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The position was created in 2014 under the Park Geun-hye administration, but has not been held since May 2015.
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The main opposition party, the People’s Power Party (PPP), has asked the Moon government to appoint a special inspector.
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“It is a constant conviction of the president-elect that the laws and principles must be applied for everyone without exception,” Kim said during a press briefing. “The transition committee will discuss relevant business and report to the president-elect.”
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Talk of the need for a special inspector system emerged during the election campaign, as Yoon faced various corruption allegations involving his wife and in-laws.
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Separately, Yoon also plans to not use the name “First Lady” during her tenure and opt for “president’s wife” or “president’s wife” instead, the officials said.
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