Amid the Presidential Office reviewing the dismissal of Lee Jin-sook, the Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission, due to reasons including 'violating political neutrality obligations,' Woo Sang-ho, the Senior Presidential Secretary, said on the 30th, "If you are going to run for Mayor of Daegu, wouldn't it be appropriate to resign and step down?" The request for resignation from the Presidential Office came just a day after Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong officially stated the examination of the Chairperson's dismissal.
According to political circles on the 31st, Senior Secretary Woo noted during a conversation with nine private broadcasting companies the day before, "No matter how you look at it, it seems that this person has political intentions in holding the position of Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission." He added, "While past Chairpersons have spoken differently about broadcasting policies, I have never heard of a political statement that warranted a warning," and questioned, "Doesn't it create news by making statements unrequested at the Cabinet meeting and then sharing what he said on social media or with reporters?"
Regarding the rumors of Chairperson Lee running for Mayor of Daegu raised particularly by the opposition, he stated, "If there are intentions to enter political candidacy, it would be appropriate to resign from public office." The speculation gained traction when Jeon Han-gil, a conservative YouTuber, publicly mentioned it. In a live broadcast on YouTube on the 27th, he remarked about the speculation that "during the local elections next year, Jeon and Chairperson Lee will compete for the position of Mayor of Daegu," adding, "Chairperson Lee is my senior from Kyungpook National University" and stated that "Chairperson Lee should be the Mayor of Daegu."
Jeon said, "I don't receive nominations, but even if I do, if Chairperson Lee runs for Mayor of Daegu, I will unconditionally yield."
Earlier, on the afternoon of the 29th, Spokesperson Kang stated during a briefing at the Presidential Office, "The Board of Audit has already concluded in early July that Chairperson Lee violated political neutrality obligations. Violating political neutrality obligations is a serious matter, and I understand that it is quite serious enough to warrant dismissal based solely on this," and revealed that they are reviewing the dismissal of the Chairperson.