(EDITORIAL from Korea JoongAng Daily on Oct. 24)

Clear all the clouds over the presidential office

After the long-awaited meeting between President Yoon Suk Yeol and People Power Party (PPP) leader Han Dong-hoon ended with no result, the conflict between the conservative government and the PPP continues to deepen. In the rare rendezvous on Monday, Han demanded three steps from the president: a suspension of first lady Kim Keon Hee's external activities, a reshuffle of the presidential office and its cooperation with recruiting a special inspector in charge of overseeing family matters related to the presidential couple. But Yoon refused, asking Han exactly what problems he had found.

As illustrated by his abysmal 22 percent approval rating, the president faces a serious leadership crisis originating from his wife. Due to a number of issues with the first lady, the president cannot concentrate on pushing his policies directly linked to people's livelihood. Yoon and Han should have hammered out at least one solution to remove all the risks stemming from the first lady. But after the two leaders ended their meeting empty-handed, core supporters of the government started criticizing both of them. If the presidential office is bent on praising the "good atmosphere of the meeting," that's a serious mistake. The presidential office must squarely confront the growing antipathy toward the first lady. Even if the office takes drastic measures — such as an apology and self-restraint by the first lady, the establishment of an office for her in the presidential office and the appointment of a special inspector — it can hardly turn the tide.

On Wednesday, Han said, "When citizens meet, they first talk about the first lady issue." He demanded the presidential office clear all the risks from the first lady before November 15 when the court delivers its first ruling on the corruption case of majority Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung. Han wants to the presidential office to appoint a special inspector before the date.

As Han suggested in the three-way meeting, including Yoon's chief of staff, the presidential office must swiftly appoint a special inspector and dismiss a number of presidential aides Han mentioned in the meeting. Given the volatility of the first lady risks, the presidential office must recruit a special inspector before it's too late.

Also, President Yoon must sack his secretaries and administrators who have been suspected of frequently intervening in state affairs on the first lady's behalf. But sadly, his two former aides linked to the first lady are reportedly waiting for their appointments as heads of public corporations. The president must not allow them to serve as presidents of public companies if he really wants to demonstrate a determination to change.
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