These days in political circles, there is talk that "Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik is actively playing the role of 'disciplinarian.'" The point is that Kang is not staying a secretary who must keep quiet but is putting his hands directly on pending issues within the ruling bloc. Kang is carrying out this role through closed-door meetings and media interviews.
◇Kang Hoon-sik raises issue of special counsel nominations at high-level party-government-presidential office meeting… Jung Chung-rae offers public apology
Democratic Party leader Jung Chung-rae apologized on the 9th over the issue of nominating a special counsel, saying he "caused trouble for the president," and political circles say Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik played a major role in bringing about that apology. Attendees say that at a closed-door high-level party-government-presidential office meeting held at the prime minister's residence on the 8th, a day earlier, Kang directly pointed out the special counsel issue to Jung. One attendee said, "The mood in the meeting turned ice-cold." Another attendee said, "It was taken as Kang conveying President Lee Jae-myung's wishes as is, which gave it weight," adding, "That is likely why Jung issued a public apology the next day."
At that high-level party-government-presidential office meeting, Kang also reportedly raised an issue with Jung over "granting supplementary investigative authority to the Public Prosecution Office." Earlier, President Lee Jae-myung had said, "There may exceptionally be a need for supplementary investigative authority. Don't rush it by Oct., let's discuss it," but the Democratic Party set its party line that it would not grant the authority. One attendee said, "Kang pointed out, in effect, that 'the presidential office is making concessions on various pending issues, but the Democratic Party is not showing that stance.'"
◇A warning to "politicians protecting their own vested interests"
Kang also sent a warning to several figures in the party engaged in "self-serving politics." In an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo published on the 9th, when asked about administrative integration, Kang said, "If integration falls through because of politicians who oppose it to protect their own vested interests, they will be criticized for a long time."
Until now, when asked about the possibility of running for the integrated mayor-governor post of Daejeon–South Chungcheong, Kang had given only the brief answer that he "had never thought about it," but in the interview that day he squarely targeted "politicians who oppose integration to protect their vested interests." It is seen as aiming at the fact that bills for administrative integration have gone to the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee but their handling has been sluggish.
In the interview, Kang also said, "The president is persuading each ministry that he will himself shed some of his and the central government's authority and responsibility." It amounts to a message that the presidential office sees it as serious that, even as President Lee Jae-myung personally takes the lead on the ground, the party is not helping but instead holding things back.
A political source said, "President Lee is day after day rebuking the National Assembly's slow processing and legislative pace, and rather than targeting the opposition, it is effectively criticism aimed at the ruling party leadership," adding, "As the administration enters its second year and seeks results, the presidential office appears to believe some adjustments are needed in party–Blue House relations."
Kim Nam-joon, presidential office spokesperson, when asked whether the president's order to speed up legislation in the National Assembly was aimed at the ruling party leadership, explained, "There are numerous state tasks piling up and many things to resolve, and in step with that, it was a general request to match the legislative pace as well."