In 2019, Jeon Hyun-hee, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (currently the Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission), is holding a press conference at the National Assembly Press Briefing Room. Photo by Yonhap News
[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), dismissed on the 20th the claim that the ACRC made a political judgment regarding the allegations of preferential military service for the son of Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae, saying, "Such a thing could never happen and is impossible."
On the 20th, Chairperson Jeon posted on her Facebook, stating, "As a chairperson who is a former politician, I have always conducted myself cautiously to ensure that the neutrality of the ACRC is not questioned." Jeon is a former member of the Democratic Party of Korea and served in the 18th and 20th National Assembly.
Jeon said, "Contrary to some concerns, I have never publicly expressed my personal opinion on the ACRC's authoritative interpretation conclusion regarding whether Minister Choo had a conflict of interest, to ensure that my position as chairperson does not influence the ACRC's authoritative interpretation (the interpretation of laws and regulations by a state-authorized institution)."
She added, "I have emphasized to the ACRC members the importance of conducting their duties with greater seriousness and adherence to principles," and said, "As chairperson, I respect the conclusions reached through the ACRC's authoritative interpretation system. The ultimate responsibility lies with me as the chairperson."
She continued, "There are some media reports and concerned individuals who suspect that the ACRC might have made a political authoritative interpretation by yielding to the chairperson or political power," and emphasized, "While I understand these concerns, such a thing could never happen at today's ACRC in the Republic of Korea in 2020."
Furthermore, she said, "This authoritative interpretation conclusion is entirely the result of the ACRC's strict authoritative interpretation system," and added, "To conclude that the ACRC made a political judgment simply because the chairperson is a former politician is tantamount to undermining the ACRC, which works uprightly based on fair procedures and legal grounds."
Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae arrived and is moving to attend the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Seoul Office Building on the morning of the 15th. Photo by Yonhap News
Earlier, on the 14th, the ACRC judged that there was "no specific job-related connection" between Minister Choo's duties and the prosecution investigation into her son, Seo Mo, who is accused of preferential treatment during military service. This means they found no conflict of interest despite the Justice Minister holding personnel authority over the prosecution.
However, the ACRC had acknowledged the possibility of a conflict of interest when allegations involving the family of former Justice Minister Cho Kuk surfaced last year.
In response, some media raised suspicions that issuing different judgments for Minister Choo and former Minister Cho, both of whom had family members under prosecution investigation while in office, might reflect political interpretation.
Regarding these criticisms, the ACRC explained that the authoritative interpretations on the conflict of interest cases for the two ministers were fundamentally the same.
In explanatory materials released consecutively on the 15th and 16th, the ACRC stated, "In the case of former Minister Cho, the authoritative interpretation was made based on hypothetical situations without confirming specific facts with the prosecution." It added, "In Minister Choo's case, the prosecution responded that they neither directed nor received reports regarding the investigation of her son, so it was judged that there was no job-related connection."
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