Minister of Personnel Management Choi Dong-seok taking an oath. Yonhap News. 

During a parliamentary audit of the Ministry of Personnel Management by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee on the 15th, rival parties clashed over the issue of disclosing the financial assets of Kim Hyun-ji, a presidential secretary, from her time as a legislative aide.

Secretary Kim previously served as an aide when Lee Jae-myung was a member of the National Assembly. While legislative aides are required to register their assets under the Public Service Ethics Act, these disclosures are not made available to the public.

Regarding this, Representative Ko Dong-jin of the People Power Party stated during the audit, "Even if the data is classified as non-public, the Ministry of Personnel Management must comply if there is a request for submission under the Act on Testimony and Appraisal Before the National Assembly, provided it does not involve state secrets."

He further criticized the Ministry, stating, "They are refusing to submit the documents to protect a specific individual."

In rebuttal, Representative Chae Hyun-il of the Democratic Party of Korea argued, "Government agencies across all previous administrations have not disclosed data that infringes on privacy or pertains to ongoing investigations," adding that "demanding the submission of asset details that are not meant for public disclosure without a legal basis undermines the ethical system of the public service sector."

Minister of Personnel Management Choi Dong-seok also stated, "We strictly regulate the disclosure of asset registration details of non-public personnel under the Public Service Ethics Act and in the interest of protecting individual privacy."

Minister Choi emphasized, "Under the Public Service Ethics Act, unauthorized viewing or copying of asset registration details is punishable by a request for dismissal or disciplinary action, as well as up to one year in prison," noting that "there is a risk of incurring these penalties if the information is disclosed."

Yonhap News