Government must avoid repeating past arrogant behaviors

“What a joke.”

The Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s approach to its first parliamentary audit in 2022 can be summed up in those words. On Nov. 8, during a National Assembly audit of the presidential office, Kim Eun-hye, then senior presidential secretary for public affairs, was caught on camera writing and then erasing the phrase “What a joke” on a note passed to Kang Seung-gyu, senior secretary for civil society.

The incident occurred less than 10 days after the Itaewon Halloween crowd crush that killed 159 people. Lawmakers were questioning the government’s inadequate response. As public outrage grew, Kim apologized for causing controversy but refused to explain why she wrote the remark, saying it had been exchanged privately. The sight of senior aides joking during the audit appeared arrogant.

Rep. Joo Ho-young of then ruling People Power Party, who chaired the steering committee, ordered both aides to leave, noting that four officials had been expelled for similar behavior between 2000 and 2010. It was a reasonable decision. Yet the presidential office and the party criticized Joo instead of reflecting. A first-term lawmaker, known as one of Yoon’s loyal supporters, reportedly said at a closed-door meeting, “Can’t we even back up the Yoon government?” The instinct to protect the president’s image before considering public sentiment also revealed arrogance.

During the Moon Jae-in administration, the presidential office’s combative tone also drew criticism. On Nov. 1, 2019, then senior secretary for political affairs Kang Ki-jung raised his voice at opposition lawmaker Na Kyung-won. When Na told National Security Adviser Chung Eui-yong that experts said North Korea’s missiles could not be intercepted, Kang interrupted, pointed his finger, and shouted, “What do you mean by insisting? Watch your language.”

The first parliamentary audit under President Lee Jae-myung began on Oct. 13. The opening session, held by the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, drew criticism that lawmakers were overstepping their authority over the judiciary. Chief Justice Cho Hee-dae, who submitted a written statement explaining his absence, said that in a democracy based on the separation of powers, there are few precedents for summoning judges to testify about trials. Committee Chair Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the ruling Democratic Party allowed 90 minutes of questioning, saying Cho would appear “as a reference, not as a witness.” Some within the ruling party later admitted the hearing should have been more restrained, but the party continued to pressure the court by attempting an on-site inspection of the Supreme Court on Oct. 15.

This year’s audit, which began with Chief Justice Cho, is expected to conclude with the question of whether Kim Hyun-ji, the first presidential secretary and a close confidante often described as one of President Lee’s “shadow aides,” will appear before the steering committee on Nov. 6. The opposition says she must testify for the public’s right to know, while the presidential office says she will appear only if both parties agree. The public will closely watch how the office manages her appearance.

At the start of the audit, President Lee urged officials to address distortions or misunderstandings properly and respond humbly to the National Assembly as representatives of the people. The government and the ruling party should learn from past mistakes, including incidents such as “What a joke” and “Watch your language.” So far, the audit has highlighted the ruling party’s heavy-handed approach. Even if the party later cites “misunderstandings,” the public is likely to perceive more arrogance from those in power.