Opposition parties escalate offensive on new envoy to Australia
Appointment of ex-minister under investigation emerges as election issue
Opposition parties have initiated a full-fledged offensive against the Yoon Suk Yeol administration over the contentious appointment of former Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup as ambassador to Australia, seamlessly integrating this issue into their campaigns with just one month left until voters cast their ballots for the general elections.
The main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) has accused the presidential office of orchestrating Lee’s appointment, effectively helping him avoid an ongoing investigation related to the death of a young marine.
Lee has been under investigation for his alleged involvement in downplaying the military’s internal probe concerning the death of the marine, named Chae Su-geun, who died during a search and rescue operation during the summer monsoon season in July 2023. Lee was the defense minister at the time. He left for Australia on Sunday evening as the Ministry of Justice lifted an overseas travel ban imposed on him.
“The escape to another country by a key suspect in the ongoing probe related to late Corporal Chae, spearheaded by the president, has now become a reality,” DPK floor leader Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo said Monday during a party meeting.
“This kind of conduct by the president is unprecedented in our constitutional history and diplomatic records.”
Hong said his party would actively pursue investigations and legal action against all officials implicated in Lee’s appointment and subsequent overseas travel. This includes Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Justice Minister Park Sung-jae, who could face charges of abuse of power and obstruction of an investigation.
He added that the party will seek to impeach the two ministers after reviewing relevant laws.
Minor parties are also aiming to leverage this issue as part of their election strategy to scrutinize the Yoon administration.
Lee Jun-seok, head of the minor conservative Reform Party, also denounced the presidential office on Monday, saying that the new envoy has set a troubling precedent among criminals by his “secretive” departure to Australia. Lee said that fleeing abroad represents the ideal escape scenario every criminal dreams of.
He also speculated that ruling People Power Party (PPP) interim leader Han Dong-hoon could have been aware of the former defense minister’s travel ban implemented in January, since Han had served as the justice minister until late December.
The National Innovation Party, led by former Justice Minister Cho Kuk, filed complaints against Yoon and the foreign and justice ministers, to the Corruption Investigation Office for High-Ranking Officials (CIO), on allegations of assisting the escape of a criminal.
The newly appointed envoy left for Australia on Sunday evening, six days after the presidential office appointed him to the ambassadorial post. Until Friday, Lee had been under a travel ban related to the ongoing probe by the CIO.
The justice ministry lifted the travel ban on Friday afternoon in an unusually swift process — the decision-making process of removing an exit ban on an individual under investigation typically takes several weeks, if not months.
Following Lee’s abrupt departure, concerns were raised that his absence will cause major disruptions to the ongoing CIO investigation.
However, the presidential office refuted those claims.
“As far as I know, Lee left after promising to return whenever required, such as when summoned. So the claim that his departure will cause disruptions to the investigation does not seem valid,” a senior official at the presidential office told reporters, Monday.
Political commentators view the ongoing controversy surrounding the new envoy as a matter that could escalate significantly due to the opposition parties’ efforts, potentially affecting the approval ratings of Yoon and the ruling party in the lead-up to the elections.
“Lee’s appointment and the removal of the travel ban … all these developments occurring within just a week directly contradict the Yoon administration’s mantra of ‘abiding by the rule of law.’ This will infuriate the public, especially the young generations, for whom ‘fairness’ is a sensitive issue,” said Park Sang-byeong, a political commentator and a professor at Inha University.
In a scenario unfavorable for Yoon and the ruling party, the negative sentiment surrounding Lee’s envoy role may erode public support for the government’s handling of the ongoing doctors’ strike, the analyst added.
In recent weeks, Yoon has seen an improvement in his approval ratings, mainly attributed to the public’s endorsement of his unwavering stance against doctors’ protests over a government plan to expand medical school enrollment quotas.
Political commentator Rhee Jonghoon echoed a similar sentiment, saying, “We should see how the situation unfolds, but this issue raises doubts over whether the president’s handling of state affairs really aligns with the keyword ‘fairness’ that he has been stressing for the last couple of years.”