Chief spokesperson Kang Yu-jung says president committed to meeting public standards on appointments

Opposition's 'lax vetting' criticism met with assurance that review began Friday

Kang Yu-jung, chief spokesperson of Cheong Wa Dae. [Yonhap]
Kang Yu-jung, chief spokesperson of Cheong Wa Dae. [Yonhap]

Cheong Wa Dae said Monday that it has begun a substantive review of the presidential personnel vetting system following a string of ministerial nominees — including Yong Hye-in and Kim Seung-won — withdrawing from consideration, fueling criticism over lax screening.

Chief spokesperson Kang Yu-jung addressed the criticism on KBS Radio's "Jeongyeok Sisa" that day, responding to the People Power Party and other opposition parties, which have characterized the consecutive withdrawals as evidence of a collapsed vetting system. She said remedial measures were already in progress.

Kang said President Lee Jae Myung had spoken with humility on the matter, conveying that the administration must do its utmost to select nominees who meet the public's expectations, and that if additional problems emerged — areas where the administration's own judgment had fallen short — those too would be subject to further scrutiny.

She added that the president had said he would conduct a full review of the personnel system to prepare for such contingencies. "There is a personnel system in place, and while appointments and nominations are made in the president's name, the personnel committee and its chair bear responsibility beforehand — all personnel processes go through this system," she said.

Kang went on to say that the moment the president spoke on Friday — saying he would look into whether any part of the system needed revisiting or strengthening — the review had effectively begun. "The system is being examined for improvements. I would ask that people watch and see how that unfolds," she said.


sunpine@heraldcorp.com