Painstaking checks are reportedly the main concern in selecting the next senior presidential secretary for public relations to fill the post that has been left vacant after the sexual assault scandal in the U.S.

With some media chief executives and pro-Park members in the ruling Saenuri Party being suggested as potential candidates, the presidential office is remaining silent over who will take over its public relations coordination.

Along with the new senior secretary, President Park Geun-hye is expected to name a new spokesperson in place of Yoon Chang-jung, who was sacked after an alleged sexual assault against an intern during a presidential trip to the U.S. earlier this month. Considering the necessary protocol, the designations must be completed before Park’s slated state visit to China next month.

Last Thursday, Park accepted the resignation of former senior secretary Lee Nam-ki about two weeks after the incident was revealed. Lee stepped down to take responsibility for Yoon’s case. Although Lee was not involved in the alleged assault, he resigned as Yoon’s immediate superior and as criticism escalated that he had mishandled the affair.

Park made a rare revelation of her dismay at her personnel appointment debacle during a dinner with political editors of media groups the following week, stating that it was “extremely disappointing” to her as well.

She pledged a more thorough and fortified personnel review system, which has been constantly been called for by the opposition and observers since her days of the presidential transition committee.

The public relations senior secretary supervises two secretaries for public relations planning and government information as well as two spokespersons. The senior secretary is responsible for Cheong Wa Dae’s planning and promotion of policies, manages relations with the media and helps with risk management.

Working in a strict environment where decisions and information are stringently made and contained in a top-down manner with minimal contact with the press, the discretion of PR officials including the spokespersons were considered restrictive.

The new senior secretary, however, should be more politically savvy while sharing Park’s philosophy and being quick to catch her intentions, the sources said.

Presidential chief of staff Huh Tae-yeol, who also heads the president’s personnel affairs committee, is in charge of drawing up a list of candidates to be verified and reported to the president for final approval.

By Lee Joo-hee (jhl@heraldcorp.com)