Working in the presidential office of ‘old relative’s brother’… “My mother-in-law is 6th cousin”

[앵커]

Controversy has arisen when the spouse of the presidential personnel secretary accompanied President Yoon Seok-yeol to NATO as a civilian.

This time, as a result of KBS coverage, it was confirmed that the younger brother of President Yoon Seok-yeol is working in the presidential office.

The presidential office is in the position that there is no problem with the appointment process, but there are criticisms that it is an inappropriate person.

This is reporter Lee Hwa-jin.

[리포트]

The presidential office annexed to the president and his wife from close range.

In this annex, it was confirmed that Mr. Choi, a relative of President Yoon Seok-yeol’s maternal family, was working as a chief executive officer.

I went to Gangneung, the mother-in-law of President Yoon, to see if there was a close relationship.

[윤석열 대통령 사촌/음성변조 : “그 작은 댁인가? 그 깊이에 대해서는 저도 잘 몰라. 먼 친척이지.”]

The Gangneung Choi clan Daejonghoe also admits that the kin is correct.

[강릉최씨 대종회 관계자/음성변조 : “(윤 대통령 외증조)할아버지의 동생에, 동생의 후손이 OO이란 말이에요.”]

In the genealogy shown by Daejonghoe, Mr. Choi’s father and President Yun’s mother are 6th cousin, and Choi is shown as 8th cousin with President Yun.

However, those who participated in the Yun presidential camp said, “Mr. Choi is like a younger brother of President Yoon regardless of his ancestry.”

Mr. Choi, known as a former conglomerate, was in charge of accounting when President Yoon participated in the People’s Power contest, and later served in the transition committee.

In the annex, it is known that he takes on the role of the de facto ‘second team’, such as coordinating the schedule of Mrs. Kim Gun-hee.

However, it is pointed out that such hiring of relatives is against ‘fairness and common sense’.

Six years ago, when Democratic Party lawmaker Seo Young-kyo hired a family member as a staff member and a controversy arose, the National Assembly revised the law to ban the hiring of relatives within the fourth degree, and to report the hiring of relatives within the eighth degree.

At that time, the Blue House of the Moon Jae-in government also made an internal guideline to ask if a family member or relative is working when hiring an employee.

The presidential office said that it is not using these regulations as it is, but it is difficult to confirm whether new business regulations have been made.

“It is true that Mr. Choi is the sixth cousin of the president,” he said.

Controversy surrounding the annex is growing even more as it was revealed that the photos of Mrs. Kim’s office were leaked, accompanied by acquaintances in Bonghama Village, and even the hiring of relatives.

This is Hwajin Lee from KBS News.