As an employee affiliated with the Prime Minister's Office is facing criticism for "surveilling the opposition" after concealing their identity and asking a question at independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon's news conference, the Prime Minister's Office said it was "inappropriate conduct for a public official," but explained it was "an impromptu question asked while passing by by chance."
The Prime Minister's Office said in an explanatory release on the 10th, "Director A, affiliated with the Prime Minister's Office, happened to pass by with a colleague the site of (the lawmaker's) news conference that was underway at the National Assembly rotunda, an open space accessible to anyone, and asked an impromptu question about something they were curious about," adding, "Reports that they deliberately slipped into a restricted-access briefing room are not true."
According to the Prime Minister's Office, Director A visited the National Assembly that afternoon for work related to interpellation of the administration and heard the lawmaker's news conference. A asked the lawmaker, "You posted on Facebook today that the prime minister is directing the investigation; do you actually think it is directing the investigation?" When the lawmaker asked for their affiliation, A answered "a member of the public," and after being told that only reporters could ask questions, left the site.
The lawmaker said, "Someone asked a question defending Prime Minister Han Seong-sook and attacking me," adding, "I usually don't ask reporters for their affiliation, but the content and aggressiveness of the question were odd, so I asked which outlet the reporter was with." The lawmaker continued, "By chance, I confirmed that person was a Director Lee affiliated with the Prime Minister's Office," and added, "It was truly absurd and bizarre."
In particular, it also became an issue that Director A asked the lawmaker a question while a Telegram chat titled "Prime minister + senior executives room" was open on A's phone. During the main session interpellation, the lawmaker asked Prime Minister Han Seong-sook, "Was this on the prime minister's orders?" and "Is the Prime Minister's Office surveilling an opposition lawmaker?"
In response, the Prime Minister's Office stressed, "The reason Director A opened the group chat and asked the question was to know precisely the wording of the lawmaker's social media post," adding, "Therefore, claims by the lawmaker's side of 'surveilling a lawmaker' or 'orders from the prime minister' are entirely untrue."
However, the Prime Minister's Office said, "Regardless of the reason, it was inappropriate conduct for a public official for an incumbent civil servant to ask a question at a lawmaker's news conference without disclosing their identity," adding, "We inform you that a stern warning has been issued."