Who Writes Novels... The Choo Line Starts to Twist Words

More Controversy Over Defense Minister's Remarks... Possible 'Tail-Cutting' at Aide Level

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] As the investigation into allegations involving Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae's son gains momentum, those who had taken a defensive stance have begun to contradict themselves. Due to the fallout spreading in all directions, discrepancies are appearing between testimonies from related parties and the investigation, and even the minister's past statements are being reexamined.

On the 15th, Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-du attended a government questioning session and repeatedly changed his statements, drawing criticism. Minister Jeong clearly stated that there was no special treatment at the Ministry of National Defense level regarding various allegations about Minister Choo’s son, Seo Mo. However, when he began to specifically compare Seo’s case with those of ordinary soldiers, his statements became inconsistent.

People Power Party lawmaker Ha Tae-kyung cited a case from a whistleblower who only had documents showing three days of treatment and ultimately received only four days of sick leave. When Ha asked, "Seo received four days of treatment and was granted 19 days of sick leave. Is it true that the whistleblower was discriminated against?" Minister Jeong replied, "The regulations are like that." This could be interpreted as Seo having taken sick leave not in accordance with regulations, to which Ha responded, "Thank you for your honest answer." Later, Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Jae-jung gave up some of her questioning time to allow Minister Jeong to correct his statement, but he only added, "There is nothing particularly different from the Ministry of National Defense’s existing position."

Moreover, it has been confirmed that a recorded phone inquiry and voice recording related to Seo’s leave extension remain in the military’s records, leading to criticism that there may have been attempts to downplay or conceal related suspicions. Until now, the ministry had remained silent despite reports that the recording had been destroyed after the retention period of three years had passed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, which have been caught in the crossfire, are showing a different atmosphere compared to the accelerating prosecution investigation.

Regarding reports that Minister Choo, during her tenure as leader of the Democratic Party in 2017, sent a copy of her daughter’s passport to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through an aide to expedite a student visa, Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha stated, "We are in the process of verifying." She explained, "We checked with the National Assembly liaison officer, headquarters staff at the time, and embassy staff, but no one could confirm it, and no staff member said they had seen it." Minister Kang added, "Visas are fundamentally decisions made by foreign governments, not our government, so we provide guidance on the information."

The Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission concluded that Minister Choo has "no job-related connection" to the investigation of her son Seo’s case. Although she is the minister with personnel authority over the prosecutors conducting the investigation, this means there is no conflict of interest. This contrasts with the interpretation issued just a year ago during former Minister Cho Kuk’s tenure, when it was suggested that a conflict of interest could arise if a spouse (Professor Jeong Gyeong-sim of Dongyang University) was under investigation by prosecutors.

Minister Choo’s own statements have also backfired. On the 14th, during government questioning, she said, "I did not instruct my aide to make a phone call," but this tone differed from her response just two weeks earlier when asked, "Is it true that your aide made the call?" to which she replied, "That did not happen." Furthermore, when asked if she had inquired whether her aide had called the military unit, she responded, "I do not want to confirm that."

Some speculate that Minister Choo’s changing statements are a strategy to shift blame. In the legal community, it is viewed that if Minister Choo was unaware of the circumstances, it would be difficult to hold her accountable, effectively transferring legal responsibility to the aide.