Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik expressed his intention to resign to President Lee Jae-myung on September 21.
Because the resignation came amid the recent withdrawals of ministerial nominees and personnel controversies, questions about responsibility within the presidential office’s personnel system are also drawing attention.
However, it has not yet been decided whether the president will accept the resignation or appoint a successor.
3-line summary
1. Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik expressed his intention to resign on 21
2. The president has not decided whether to accept it
3. An expression of intent to resign does not mean that a replacement has been finalized
Resignation Expressed in the Morning, Presidential Decision Still Pending in the Afternoon
Seong Ki-hong, the senior secretary for public relations and communications at the presidential office, said at a briefing on 21 that Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik had expressed his intention to resign to President Lee Jae-myung that morning. The presidential office explained that the intent was to take comprehensive responsibility for circumstances surrounding the operation of state affairs as the chief of staff assisting the president.
At a senior secretaries’ meeting that same day, President Lee said that Chief Kang appeared to have said he “wanted to graduate,” while also saying that he had not yet decided how to handle acceptance of the resignation. Therefore, the facts confirmed that day were Chief Kang’s expression of intent to resign and the president’s reserved position. Chief Kang’s departure or the appointment of a successor cannot be regarded as finalized results.
Chief Kang was appointed presidential chief of staff with the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration and has also served as chair of the presidential office’s personnel committee. According to a Yonhap Infomax report, calls for responsibility over personnel matters were raised following the recent withdrawals of former Gender Equality and Family Minister nominee Yong Hye-in and former Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won.
Responsibility for the Personnel Controversy and the Meaning of the Resignation
The presidential office explained the background to the resignation as comprehensive responsibility, rather than as responsibility for one specific matter. This may be understood as the chief of staff taking responsibility for problems in the personnel process, but the resignation does not by itself mean that a reform of the personnel system or a finalized announcement of a personnel overhaul at the presidential office has been made.
The opposition parties called for responsibility and reform of the personnel line. This is a political claim by the People Power Party and needs to be distinguished from an official decision or investigation result by the presidential office. It is true that criticism was raised that the personnel vetting system should be reviewed following the withdrawal of ministerial nominees, but how it would be revised was not included in the announcement made that day.
The most important distinction in this matter is the difference between expressing an intention to resign and acceptance of the resignation. When a public official states an intention to resign, that person’s wishes become clear, but the replacement of the chief of staff is not finalized until the president decides whether to accept the resignation. Since President Lee personally deferred the decision, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik’s final status must be confirmed through a subsequent official announcement.
References
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