[Editorial] Lingering suspicions

The presidential office accepted Kim Nam-kook's resignation as presidential secretary for digital communication on Thursday.

Kim had offered to resign apparently to lessen the political burden he put on the presidential office by causing suspicions about cronyism and the power behind the throne.

However, it is questionable if such suspicions are confined to the issue that led to his resignation.

On Tuesday during a plenary session in the main chamber of the National Assembly, Moon Jin-seog, deputy floor leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, was caught on a photojournalist's camera exchanging text messages with Kim.

In the message, Moon asked Kim to recommend "our university alumnus" as president of the Korean Automobile & Mobility Association to Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik "because if I were to make a recommendation directly, Kang would oppose it."

Kim replied, "Sure, Moon, I will recommend him to Hoon-sik and Hyun-ji." Hoon-sik refers to the presidential chief of staff and Hyun-ji apparently refers to Kim Hyun-ji, chief presidential assistant.

Moon mentioned only Kang, but Kim added Hyun-ji. Kim Hyun-ji may feel victimized, but the mention of her name is perhaps not so surprising.

Suspicion that she might pull the strings in the administration drew attention in connection with Kang Sun-woo's decision to withdraw from nomination as a minister in July.

The Democratic Party lawmaker was tapped as Minister of Gender Equality and Family but resigned amid criticisms over her alleged abuse of aides and false explanations of the abuse allegations.

Kim Hyun-ji, who was general-affairs secretary at that time, was found to have made a call to Kang Sun-woo. After the call, Kang resigned.

People suspect that Kim Hyun-ji spoke with Kang Sun-woo about the matter of her resignation. They also wonder how a mere secretary, not chief of staff, could have such a conversation. Chief of Staff Kang said later that he gave Kim Hyun-ji a disciplinary warning over her call, which he deemed an overstep.

Kim Nam-kook said that he would recommend to "Hyun-ji" as well as to Kang, probably because he knew that Hyun-ji was the power behind the scenes. Moon did not raise an objection to the addition of Hyun-ji, either. Rather he said, "Thank you." Their conversation indicates that they knew something about how influence flows within the presidential office.

Chief of Staff Kang on Sunday said that Moon's request was not delivered to him or Hyun-ji. However, the message was already exposed through news reports. The expression "not delivered" sounds awkward.

Of course, both Moon's request and Kim Nam-kook's reply were inappropriate. Accepting Kim's resignation was a reasonable measure. Nonetheless, suspicions about the existence of a gray eminence or cronyism linger. They should be resolved clearly, not only for the sake of Lee but also for his chief assistant.

In fact, the root of the suspicions is not Kim Nam-kook, but Kim Hyun-ji. Yet the presidential office tries to conclude the text message issue with Kim Nam-kook's resignation and move on. Merely accepting his resignation and then speaking as if that resolves the issue won't cut it.

The prevailing view is that the presidential office threw Kim Nam-kook under the bus. The public suspects Kim Hyun-ji of having some influence on Lee but little is known about her. Curiously, the presidential office won't disclose her personal information in the way it does with other staff. The ruling party aborted the opposition party's bid to call her as a witness in a parliamentary hearing. Suspicions cannot but grow.

The text message incident is a warning bell for the presidential office. If there were an official within the presidential office who inspects its internal workings, power-related corruption could be prevented.

Kang said Sunday that it is the presidential office's position to appoint a special inspector who will investigate only allegations involving the president's kin if the National Assembly recommends candidates. Legislators should not delay making a recommendation. Also, special inspections should be expanded to secretaries. Most aides, including Kim Hyun-ji, have worked with Lee for a long time. They hold secretary-level positions.