President Yoon Suk Yeol introduces his new senior secretary for civil affairs Kim Joo-hyun during a press briefing at the presidential office in Yongsan District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday appointed former Vice Justice Minister Kim Joo-hyun as senior secretary for civil affairs, reinstating the position Yoon himself abolished when taking office two years ago.

While the president claims that the re-establishment of the position is aimed at "hearing public opinions," the opposition describes it as an attempt to maintain control over the prosecution, police, and other investigative functions of the government in order to shield himself and his family from potential "legal risks."

"During a media interview in July 2021, I said that I would abolish the position of senior secretary for civil affairs," Yoon said during a briefing introducing Kim. "I have maintained that stance until now, but the (presidential office's) function of gauging public sentiment is not working well, and I've received a lot of advice about that."

The role of senior secretary for civil affairs has traditionally been one of the most influential positions within the Korean presidential office. This role entails overseeing various government agencies, including the prosecution, police, the National Tax Service and others with investigative powers. The secretary is also responsible for legal affairs, anti-corruption efforts, and gathering information on public sentiment, thereby managing highly sensitive domestic political information.

Due to the power of handling legal affairs, former presidents mostly appointed ex-prosecutors to the position, except for President Moon Jae-in who appointed then-Seoul National University professor Cho Kuk.

Senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Kim Ju-hyun / Yonhap

During the Moon administration, Yoon conducted an investigation into the Cho family's alleged academic document fabrications, defying instructions from the president to suspend the probe. The conflict propelled Yoon to political prominence among the conservatives, and he pledged to abolish the position which he described is "too powerful."

The reinstatement came after the ruling People Power Party (PPP) suffered a crushing defeat in the April 10 general elections. After the loss, Yoon said he accepts criticism that the administration had failed to reflect public sentiment and vowed to listen to people's voices more attentively.

"There are reasons why previous administrations had this position, and there are opinions that the current administration's civil affairs initiatives are not functioning effectively," Yoon said, citing the example of former President Kim Dae-jung, who abolished the position, but revived it two years into his term.

Kim is a former prosecutor who served as vice justice minister in 2015. Until Tuesday, he was employed at the law firm Kim & Chang.

As rumors about his appointment emerged recently, critics argue that the president aims to maintain his grip on the prosecution, even after the election defeat, by appointing a former prosecutor to the position. Moreover, there is speculation that this move is an attempt to shield his wife, Kim Keon Hee, from allegations related to a stock manipulation scandal and the receipt of a luxury handbag from a pastor under questionable circumstances.

Regarding such speculation, Yoon said, "If there are any allegations against me, I believe it's my responsibility to address and resolve them personally. It shouldn't be the duty of the senior secretary."

Against this backdrop, Prosecutor General Lee One-seok vowed on Tuesday that the ongoing investigation into the first lady's handbag scandal would be "conducted swiftly and strictly based solely on evidence and legal principles."

Those comments triggered speculation regarding how the prosecution will navigate its relationship with the new senior secretary.

Former senior presidential secretary for civil affairs Woo Byung-woo, center, exits the Seoul High Court in this Feb. 4, 2021 photo. Yonhap

Despite the president's explanation that the new position was established "for the people," the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) characterized Yoon's actions as "making an excuse" to exert control over the prosecution.

"The office of civil affairs senior secretary has historically been used to consolidate presidential power by exerting control over the prosecution and the police, and this will be the case again," DPK spokesperson Choi Min-seok said.

"Kim served as the vice minister of justice during the conservative Park Geun-hye administration, which orchestrated control over investigative institutions alongside then-senior secretary Woo Byung-woo. In the end, the appointment obviously shows that Yoon seeks to strengthen his grip on investigative institutions following the election defeat."

Woo was the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs under former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached amid a corruption scandal. Woo resigned due to negligence in preventing Park's wrongdoings. He subsequently served over a year in prison for illegally investigating liberal figures.

Yoon was one of the prosecutors who spearheaded investigations into Woo. However, the president pardoned and reinstated him in 2023.

The minor progressive Rebuilding Korea Party, which is led by Cho, the former senior secretary, said in a commentary: "Who will believe (Yoon's) comments that he will hear the public voice through a former prosecutor? ... it will only make way for the Yoon administration to control the prosecution the same way Woo Byung-woo did."