Pres. Yoon approves 42 Cabinet meeting agenda items

Shortly after delivering a public address on Thursday in which he dismissed any intention to resign, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol exercised his authority by approving all agenda items passed during this week’s Cabinet meeting.

The Ministry of Government Legislation confirmed at 1:50 p.m. on Thursday that President Yoon signed off on 21 legislative bills, including amendments to the National Finance Act, and 21 presidential decrees, such as revisions to the enforcement ordinance of the Radio Waves Act. On Tuesday, these measures were approved at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

While President Yoon had previously exercised his personnel authority even after hinting at making a “second-line retreat” on Saturday, such as approving the dismissal of former Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, this latest action is seen by some as a clear signal of his intention to remain actively engaged in governing.

Speculation also arose that President Yoon may veto the special prosecutor bill targeting First Lady Kim Keon Hee, which passed the National Assembly on Thursday. “The bill has not yet been formally sent to the administration,” a government official noted. “If the Ministry of Justice, which oversees the matter, recommends a veto, the issue will be reviewed in the Cabinet and proposed to the president.”


고도예기자 yea@donga.com