Former lawmaker Ryu Hyeok alleges that President Yoon Suk-yeol extended undue favors to education ministry officials handling an admissions scandal investigation. Yoon’s office firmly denies the claims, labeling them unfair and groundless.
Ryu’s Radio Remarks Spark Controversy
On March 19, Ryu appeared on MBC Radio’s ‘Kim Jong-bae’s Straight Talk’ and stated that meetings occurred with education ministry staff to address the issue. “I first shared the details with my team despite those discussions,” he explained.
Ryu criticized such outreach to newly appointed officials as irresponsible. He asserted that Yoon holds a biased view and dismissed predictions like ‘pour more coffee’—implying subservience—as accurate reflections of the ministry’s stance. “This isn’t stigmatizing; it’s spot-on,” Ryu added.
He further remarked that even casual gestures carry weight for ministry officials and that past meetings revealed ambitious figures. Ryu described these as realizations of deeper intentions.
Presidential Office Rejects Allegations
Yoon’s spokesperson, Yoo Jeong-hwa, responded on the office’s Facebook page, calling Ryu’s statements unfair to the president. “These are not objective facts but personal sentiments presented as evidence,” she said.
Yoo emphasized Yoon’s commitment to legal duties and proper education policy. “One-sided interpretations of the president’s words as shifting incompetent officials lack objectivity and realism,” she noted.
She clarified that evaluations stay within prosecutorial bounds and accused Ryu of ideological overreach. “Exposing internal harmony externally educates the public; no related agencies dispute this thorough approach,” Yoo stated.
The office portrayed Ryu as an outsider unable to grasp Yoon’s position, venting prosecutorial frustrations pathetically.
