 ▲ 윤석열 정부 용산 대통령실 청사 © 뉴시스 |
대통령실이 18일 "이종섭 주호주 대사 임명은 인도·태평양지역서 한·미·일·호주와의 안보협력과 호주에 대한 대규모 방산수출에 비춰 적임자를 발탁한 정당한 인사"라고 밝혔다.
대통령실 대변인실은 이날 오전 '현안 관련 대통령실 입장' 자료 공지을 통해 "이 대사는 고위공직자범죄수사처 소환 요청에 언제든 즉각 응할 것"이라며 "공수처가 조사 준비되지 않아 소환도 안 한 상태서 재외공관장이 국내에 들어와 마냥 대기하는 건 매우 부적절하다"며 이같이 전했다.
그러면서 "이 대사에 대한 검증 과정서 고발 내용 검토 결과 문제될 게 전혀 없다 판단했다"며"공수처도 고발 이후 6개월간 소환 요청을 한 번도 한 적 없다"고 밝혔다.
또 "이 대사는 대사 부임 출국 전 스스로 공수처를 찾아가 4시간 가량 조사받았고 언제든 소환하면 귀국해 조사받겠다고 했다"며 "이에 공수처도 다음 기일 조사가 준비되면 소환통보 하겠다 했고, 법무부에서만 출국금지 해제 결정을 받은 게 아닌 공수처서도 출국 허락을 받고 호주로 부임한 것"이라고 밝혔다.
이 대사는 직전 국방장관 시절 해병대 고 채수근 상병 사건 수사에 외압을 행사했다는 의혹으로 공수처 수사를 받던 중 주호주 대사로 임명돼 출국한 상태다.
이어 황상무 대통령실 시민사회수석 발언 논란 관련해선 "특정 현안 관련해 언론사 관계자를 상대로 어떤 강압 내지 압력도 행사해 본 적 없고 하지도 않을 것"이라고 밝혔다.
더불어 "우리 정부는 과거 정권들 같이 정보기관을 동원해 언론인을 사찰하거나 국세청을 동원해 언론사 세무사찰을 벌인 적도 없고 그럴 의사·시스템도 없다"며 "언론 자유·언론기관 책임을 철저하게 존중하는 게 우리 정부 국정철학"이라고 덧붙였다.
앞서 황 수석은 일부 언론인들과의 식사 자리서 지난 1980년대 언론인 회칼 테러 사건 등을 언급한 사실이 알려져 논란이 일었다. 황 수석은 사안 발생 이틀 후인 지난 16일 본인 명의 입장문을 내고 사과한 바 있다.
*아래는 위 기사를 '구글 번역'으로 번역한 영문 기사의 [전문]입니다. '구글번역'은 이해도 높이기를 위해 노력하고 있습니다. 영문 번역에 오류가 있을 수 있음을 전제로 합니다.<*The following is [the full text] of the English article translated by 'Google Translate'. 'Google Translate' is working hard to improve understanding. It is assumed that there may be errors in the English translation.
President's Office "Appointment of Lee Jong-seop, the right person for security cooperation and defense industry exports...justifiable appointment."
Hwang Sang-moo, senior civil society official, controversies over his remarks: “I have never used force or pressure against media officials related to specific issues and I will not do so.”
-kihong Kim reporter
The President's Office said on the 18th, "The appointment of Ambassador Lee Jong-seop to Australia is a justified appointment of the right person in light of security cooperation with Korea, the United States, Japan, and Australia in the Indo-Pacific region and large-scale defense industry exports to Australia."
This morning, the Presidential Spokesperson's Office said in a statement on 'President's Office Position on Current Issues' that "Ambassador Lee will immediately respond to the request to be summoned by the High-ranking Public Officials Crime Investigation Office at any time," adding, "The head of an overseas diplomatic mission is in Korea without a summons as the Office of the High-ranking Public Officials is not ready for the investigation." “It is very inappropriate to come in and just wait,” he said.
He said, “After reviewing the contents of the accusation during the verification process against Ambassador Lee, we determined that there was no problem at all,” and added, “The Corruption Investigation Office has also never requested a summons in the six months since the accusation.”
In addition, "Ambassador Lee went to the High-ranking Officials' Office on his own and was interrogated for about four hours before leaving the country for his new ambassadorship, and said that he would return to Korea and be investigated if summoned at any time." He added, "The High-ranking Officials' High-ranking Officials' High-ranking Officials' Office of Airborne Officials also said that it would notify them of the summons when the next investigation date is ready, and only the Ministry of Justice decided to lift the ban on leaving the country. “He did not receive permission to leave the country, but he received permission to leave the country from the Ministry of Public Prosecution and took up his post in Australia.”
Ambassador Lee was appointed ambassador to Australia and left the country while he was being investigated by the Corruption Investigation Office for suspicions that he exerted external pressure on the investigation of the case of the late Corporal Chae Soo-geun of the Marine Corps when he was the immediate past Minister of National Defense.
Regarding the controversy over remarks made by Hwang Sang-moo, senior civil society official in the President's Office, he said, "I have never used any coercion or pressure against media representatives in relation to specific issues, and I will not do so."
In addition, he said, “Our government has never mobilized intelligence agencies to inspect journalists or mobilized the National Tax Service to conduct tax inspections of media companies like past administrations, and we do not have the will or system to do so.” He added, “Our government thoroughly respects freedom of the press and the responsibility of media institutions.” He added, “It is the philosophy of state affairs.”
Previously, controversy arose when it was revealed that Chief Hwang had mentioned the Hoekkal terrorist attack on journalists in the 1980s during a meal with some journalists. Chief Hwang issued a statement in his name on the 16th, two days after his incident occurred, and apologized.
