Kim Jong-min refutes 'Choo's son military privilege allegations' "Advisor's call is true... but it's not coercion"

Kim Jong-min, Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, attending the Supreme Council meeting chaired by party leader Lee Nak-yeon at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 31st of last month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yeon-ju] Kim Jong-min, a Supreme Council Member of the Democratic Party of Korea, clarified on the 17th regarding the allegations of preferential treatment in military service for the son of Minister of Justice Chu Mi-ae, Mr. Seo, stating, "Based on the facts revealed so far, this is not external pressure."

In an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the same day, Kim said, "It seems true that the aide made a phone call. However, if extending leave by phone is the basis for preferential treatment or illegality, then all 3,100 people who extended their leave by phone should be investigated," he said.

He added, "This is not a matter for debate," and argued, "Some people were not allowed to extend leave by phone, and some were. So, is it allowed or not? It is allowed."

He further explained, "There were three inquiry calls from the aide, but the key question is whether Private Seo asked for help to resolve his own issue," and countered, "If the aide handled it on their own, that would be inappropriate. But if Private Seo was struggling while inquiring about extending sick leave, and since his mother is a politician and he couldn't get through, the aide helped him, then isn't that a somewhat different issue?"

Regarding the allegation raised by Shin Won-sik, a member of the People Power Party, on the 16th at the National Assembly that "the person who called the Ministry of National Defense was a woman," Kim said, "The prosecution has not even looked into it yet, so it should be verified and presented," and dismissed it by saying, "Now is not the time for speculation."

He continued, "Among the revelations made by Representative Shin so far, none have been accurate. Later, it turned out that they were not true, and in some cases, clearly false information," adding, "A call was made with a female voice, but the name was recorded differently? It is regrettable that such controversies keep raising suspicions."

Kim concluded by asserting, "In the end, when asked 'Can sick leave be extended?' the answer was to use personal leave. Getting approval from the unit commander and contacting them is not preferential leave," and emphasized, "It is not external pressure either."