Minister Chu's Daughter Ran a Restaurant in Seoul Itaewon in 2014
Julian: "Frequently Visited Nearby Restaurant... Didn't Know Owner"
Regarding Mentor Group Appointment Timing: "Pilot Activities Started in 2019"
Belgian broadcaster Julian Quintart refuted the allegations of preferential appointment to the Ministry of Justice mentoring team surrounding him in a post on his Instagram on the 21st. / Photo by Instagram capture
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Julian Quintart, a Belgian-born broadcaster, denied allegations on the 21st that he was appointed to the Ministry of Justice mentor group after promoting a restaurant run by the daughter of Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae.
On the same day, Julian wrote on his Instagram, "I was one of about 10 members of the pilot mentor group for the Social Integration Program under Minister Park Sang-ki in 2019," and explained, "There was talk of creating an official mentor group even before Minister Choo took office, but the process was delayed, so it was launched when Minister Choo assumed office."
He claimed that since he was appointed to the mentor group before Minister Choo took office, there is no special treatment suspicion at all.
He also explained his activities in the mentor group. Julian said, "This mentor group gives lectures to students taking the Social Integration Program, which is a mandatory course to obtain permanent residency in Korea," and added, "Mentors are selected through an open recruitment process for those who have completed this program. I also completed this program."
Regarding the restaurant run by Minister Choo’s daughter, Julian said, "It was a restaurant located one minute away from the gym I used to attend. I was very pleased to find a meatball shop, a representative Belgian dish, and I often went there because it was delicious," and explained, "When we met, we only exchanged greetings; I don’t even know her personal contact information. I only knew that she was the owner of the restaurant, and I found out about her identity this morning."
Earlier, a media outlet reported that "Julian, who introduced the restaurant run by Minister Choo’s daughter as his regular restaurant on a past broadcast program, was appointed as a Ministry of Justice public relations ambassador in May," which sparked suspicions of special treatment toward Julian.
In response, the Ministry of Justice issued a statement saying, "The Ministry of Justice only appointed the entertainer as a member of the '1st Social Integration Immigrant Mentor Group' (total 35 members) and did not appoint him as a 'Ministry of Justice public relations ambassador.'"
They added, "The 'Social Integration Immigrant Mentor Group' appointed in May this year (an unpaid honorary position) selects immigrants who have settled stably in Korean society as mentors to share their experiences and know-how in adapting to Korean society. The selection was made through an objective review process by a selection committee composed of internal and external members following a public recruitment procedure in February."
Meanwhile, the restaurant Julian mentioned is a handmade meatball specialty store opened by Minister Choo’s daughter in October 2014 in Itaewon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. It closed in 2015.
Minister Choo was embroiled in allegations of violating the Political Funds Act by spending about 2.5 million won in political funds (donations) at the restaurant 25 times from November 2014 to August 2015 while serving as a member of the 19th National Assembly.
However, regarding these allegations, Minister Choo denied them during a National Assembly government questioning session on the 17th, saying, "It was a public occasion where I had a meal with reporters. Just because it was my daughter’s restaurant doesn’t mean I could eat for free," and added, "There is no fact of violating the Political Funds Act."
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