Presidential office accuses previous administration of accounting manipulation

The South Korean presidential office and the leading opposition party are colliding head-on, following the Board of Audit and Inspection’s inspection results that the three major national statistics – housing prices (real estate), income, and employment – were manipulated during the Moon Jae-in administration and the prolonged hunger strike of Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea. As the Democratic Party of Korea said it would go on an all-out ‘popular revolt,’ the presidential office confronted the party by highlighting damage to the people. With the ruling and opposition parties continuing an extreme vetocracy, there are concerns that the political function of finding alternatives based on compromise and negotiation is not working.

The Democratic Party of Korea held an emergency general meeting on Saturday, the 17th day of its leader Lee’s hunger strike, and decided to submit a motion to dismiss Prime Minister Han Duck-soo. “We urge the Yoon Suk Yeol administration to perform a comprehensive government reform and a general resignation of the Cabinet and will immediately submit a motion to dismiss the prime minister,” said the party in a resolution. “We will begin the procedures to carry through the Act on the Appointment of Independent Prosecutor in order to probe the case of interrupting and concealing an investigation into Marines who passed away at their post.” The opposition party seems to be taking firm reactions in response to the Yoon Suk Yeol administration launching an investigation into the previous administration’s alleged statistical manipulation, instead of demonstrating a conciliatory gesture amid Lee’s hunger strike.

The presidential office is putting a focus on the allegation that statistics were manipulated during the Moon Jae-in administration. “If the administration that manipulated the basic policy statistics and deceived the public were a company, the ‘Moon Jae-in administration Incorporated’ committed fraud against not only the people, who are the shareholders, and foreign investors and markets, which can be compared to trading partners,” said a key member of the presidential office. “The accounting manipulation scandal of the ‘Moon Jae-in administration Incorporated’ should be strictly dealt with and addressed.” The presidential office also said it wouldn’t react to Lee’s hunger strike as ‘nobody told him to go on one.’ It was also reported that President Yoon believes Lee’s hunger strike was partially intended to avoid prosecution investigation.


Kwan-Seok Jang jks@donga.com · Sung-Hwi Kang yolo@donga.com