(LEAD) PM expresses regret over staffer's sneaky attendance in lawmaker's briefing

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(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with PM expressing regret; CHANGES headline)

SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Yonhap) -- Prime Minister Han Seong-sook expressed regret Friday after a member of her staff attended a lawmaker's press briefing at the National Assembly the previous day and asked questions while claiming to be an ordinary citizen.

The incident happened Thursday when Rep. Han Dong-hoon, an independent, was holding a press briefing about a lobbying scandal involving the justice minister nominee. Halfway through the session, an unidentified person asked a question about Han's criticism of the prime minister.

Following a brief exchange, the lawmaker asked back who the person was affiliated with, and he responded that he was just an ordinary citizen. At that time, he was holding a mobile phone that displayed a Telegram chat room titled "room for the prime minister and key senior officials."

That individual was later found to be a director-level official of the Prime Minister's Office.

During a parliamentary interpellation session later that day, the lawmaker voiced strong outrage, accusing the Prime Minister's Office of conducting "illicit surveillance" on a lawmaker.

On Friday, the prime minister expressed regret.

"I offer words of regret to Rep. Han and to the people that (the official) caused unnecessary misunderstanding and controversy by answering that he is an ordinary citizen," the prime minister said during a parliamentary interpellation session Friday.

"I think it was inappropriate conduct for a public official to ask questions without clearly identifying himself at an opposition lawmaker's press conference," she said.

Her office said earlier that a stern warning was issued to the official.

However, it denied the lawmaker's claims of surveillance, saying the official asked questions in an impromptu manner while passing through the Rotunda Hall of the National Assembly, an area that anybody can access.

"It is not true that he intentionally sneaked into the presser," the office said.

Rep. Han Dong-hoon (R) asks questions to Prime Minister Han Seong-sook during a parliamentary interpellation session at the National Assembly on Sept. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)

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(LEAD) PM expresses regret over staffer's sneaky attendance in lawmaker's briefing

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（注意：全文更新，首相表达遗憾；标题已更改）

首尔，9月11日（韩联社）——韩国总理韩成淑周五对一名工作人员前一天在国会参加议员新闻发布会并自称是普通公民提问一事表示遗憾。

事件发生在周四，当时独立议员韩东勋正在就司法部长提名人卷入的游说丑闻举行新闻发布会。发布会进行到一半时，一名身份不明的人就韩东勋此前对总理的批评提出了提问。

简短交谈后，议员反问对方是何方神圣，对方回答说自己只是个普通市民。当时，他手里拿着一部手机，屏幕上显示着一个名为“总理和重要高级官员的聊天室”的Telegram聊天室。

后来发现，此人是首相办公室的一名主任级官员。

在当天晚些时候的议会质询会议上，这位议员表达了强烈的愤慨，指责首相办公室对一名议员进行“非法监视”。

周五，总理表达了遗憾之情。

“我向韩议员和民众表示遗憾，因为（该官员）回答说自己是普通公民，造成了不必要的误会和争议，”总理在周五的议会质询会上说。

“我认为，一名公职人员在反对派议员的新闻发布会上不明确表明身份就提问，这种行为是不恰当的，”她说。

她的办公室早些时候表示，已对该官员发出严厉警告。

然而，该机构否认了这位议员关于监视的说法，称该官员是在经过国民议会圆形大厅时即兴提问的，而任何人都可以进入该区域。

“他并非故意偷偷溜进新闻发布会，”该办公室表示。

2026年9月11日，韩国国会议员韩东勋（右）在国会质询环节向总理韩成淑提问。（韩联社）

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