Na Kyung-won: "No Illegality in Children's Issues... Prosecution Search Triggered by One Word from Choo"

Court Rejects Search and Seizure Warrant

Former Future United Party (now People Power Party) lawmaker Na Kyung-won, who was indicted over the 20th National Assembly fast-track (rapid processing agenda) clash incident, is responding to reporters' questions before attending the first trial held at the Southern District Court in Yangcheon-gu, Seoul on the morning of the 21st. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suwan] Former Future United Party (now People Power Party) lawmaker Na Kyung-won said, "There is no eternal power," after the prosecution's request for a search warrant related to allegations involving her son and daughter was dismissed.

On the 24th, Na posted on her Facebook, stating, "Regarding my son, the Seoul National University Research Integrity Committee concluded in June that there was no wrongdoing, and regarding my daughter and the Special Olympics issue, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's corporate office inspection in March also concluded there was no illegality."

She continued, "A ruling party lawmaker (Jeong Cheong-rae of the Democratic Party of Korea) raised the issue, the minister (Choo Mi-ae, Minister of Justice) took it up, and an organization led by former Democratic Party nomination committee members spoke out, causing the prosecution to go into a frenzy with searches and summonses as if a fire broke out at a hotteok shop," criticizing the situation.

Finally, Na sarcastically remarked, "It's a 'transparent move' at a very peculiar time."

Earlier, according to legal circles, the prosecution requested a search warrant on the 21st for Special Olympics Korea (SOK), where Na was chairman and her daughter was an executive, but the warrant was dismissed.

Meanwhile, Na has been reported to the prosecution ten times since September last year regarding allegations of △children's admission and recruitment corruption △Hongshin Academy private school corruption △SOK privatization and unfair preferential treatment.

Na's son, Kim, while attending high school in the United States in August 2015, was listed as the first author and fourth author on two research posters published at the IEEE EMBC (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference). At that time, Kim was listed as a "Seoul National University graduate student," sparking controversy over "free riding," and the poster where he was the fourth author raised suspicions of plagiarism.

Regarding Na's daughter, controversy arose over preferential treatment when she became an ex officio director of SOK in July 2016. SOK is a non-profit organization under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, where Na served as chairman from 2011 to 2016. Since Na stepped down as chairman in July 2016, her daughter has held the ex officio director position.

In response, SOK explained at last year's National Assembly audit that "the appointment was proper as she was listed with athlete qualifications." The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism pointed out procedural issues in March after an office inspection, stating "there was no approval from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism."

At that time, Na rebutted, saying, "My daughter was elected chairperson through votes by athletes from various countries at the Special Olympics World Youth Congress."