Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday reconfirmed its stance that it will not dismiss the feud-ridden presidential aide Woo Byung-woo, refusing to elaborate further.

“Nothing has changed,” presidential spokesperson Jung Youn-kuk told reporters, in an answer to a question on whether the resignation of special investigator Lee Seok-su the previous day would affect Woo.

The Blue House has repeatedly expressed its reluctance to dismiss Woo or accept his resignation, claiming the allegations against him are not yet proven.

Lee, a special inspector assigned to look into the presidential aide’s corruption allegations, offered his resignation Monday, citing a separate prosecutorial probe on whether he leaked information on Woo to the media.

“I thought it inappropriate to maintain my position while facing a prosecutorial probe,” he told reporters.

Lee’s resignation came shortly after the prosecution team seized and searched his team’s headquarters, an action which the opposition camp saw as political pressure to cease the special inspection against the troubled presidential aide.

His abrupt resignation was also taken as urging Woo, who is equally subject to the prosecutorial probe in question, to follow suit and face investigation as an ordinary citizen.

The fact that only the special inspector resigned, while the subject of the inspection refuses to step down has drawn backlash from opposition circles.

“The senior secretary should step in and explain why he has not yet stepped down, even after the resignation of the special inspector,” said Rep. Woo Sang-ho, floor leader of The Minjoo Party of Korea.

Rep. Park Jie-won, floor leader and interim chief of the runner-up People’s Party, accused the state powers of “pulling a blunt knife on Woo, while thrusting a razor at Lee.”

Complaints also came from within the ruling conservative Saenuri Party, especially from those classified as reformists, in contrast to those close to President Park Geun-hye.

“The fact that Woo maintains his position as senior presidential aide for civil affairs is an obstacle to the prosecutorial probe,” said the Saenuri’s Rep. Lee Hye-hoon in a radio interview, urging for Woo’s resignation by the forthcoming Chuseok holidays.

By Bae Hyun-jung(tellme@heraldcorp.com)